The Minister For Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, has launched the 2024 edition of the Green Ghana Day, at Tamale, Northern Region.
In 2021, under the distinguished leadership of the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Akufo- Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo , the Green Ghana Project was launched as part of an aggressive afforestation/ reforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover of Ghana and to contribute to the global effort to fight climate change.
The maiden edition of the Green Ghana Day was June, 11, 2021 during which seven (7) million tree seedlings were planted from initiatial target of five million.
Delivering his welcome address, Hon. Shani Alhassan Shaibu, Northern Regional Minister, said, the significance of the Greening Ghana Day cannot be overstated.
He added that the environmental challenges such as climate change, deforestation and pollution has become increasingly urgent to take proactive measures to safeguard the planet and ensure the well- being of the present and future generations.
According to him, greening the country is not merely a symbolic gesture, but a concrete action with enormous benefits such as creates job opportunities, economic growth and fosters community resilience.
On his part, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, expressed his profound gratitude to the Overlord, the King Of Dagbon, His Royal Majesty, Ndan Ya Na Abukari II for the continous support for the work of the Ministry Of Lands and Natural Resources, particularly, the Green Ghana Project and afforestation programmes.
He , said, His Royal Majesty ,has graciously participated each year, leading the Chiefs and people of Dagbon and Northern Ghana in his historic tree planting exercise.
Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor revelead that the Green Ghana Project is one of the measures President Nana Akufo- Addo ,has adopted to curb the incessant degradation of the forests, which has been ongoing for years without any conscious effort to replace them and contribute to the global fight against climate change.
He disclosed that the available data shows between 2010 and 2015, alone, the amount of forest the country lost far exceeds the area of forest cultivated between 1963 and 2016, a whopping fifty- three (53) years, which stands at one hundred and fifty- seven thousand, three hundred hectares ( 157,300 ha) .
He stated that since assuming office in 2017, however, the Government of President Akufo- Addo ,has been committed to an aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme, which has led to the cultivation of almost seven hundred and twenty- one thousand hectares ( 721,000) of forest between 2017 to 2023, under the Ghana Forest Plantation strategy, in addition to several trees planted under the Forest Investment Programme ( FIP) , the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDDT Programme, Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reduction Project, the Youth Establishment as an occupational programme funded by the Forest Plantation Development Fund.
” I am happy and proud to report that in the last three( 3) years of its implementation, some forty- two million ( 42,000,000) trees have been planted across the country, in both on and off reserves, consistently exceeding the targets every year, and this has been verified by independent audit “.
According to him, the targets of this year, at least, an additional ten million ( 10,000,000) trees, on the Green Ghana Day, which will be held under the Theme, ” Growing For A Greener Tomorrow “.
The Theme has been chosen to emphasis the need to, not just plant trees, but ensure the growth of trees planted to reach maturity and contribute to fight against climate change.
He, thus , makes a passionate appeal to Corporate Ghana to adopt compartments in forest reserves and plant trees which will be branded in their corporate names after planting, and which can be reported as part of their corporate social responsibility and their efforts towards net zero.
Nyab Zangbaling Lana, delivery the keynote address on behalf of Ndan Yaa – Na, called on Paramount Chiefs, Divisional Chiefs and people of Dagbon to participate actively in this year’s Green Ghana Day.
