Tree planting is one of the three projects deployed by Nigerian states affected by floods in 2022, according to the 2022 Budget Implementation Reports (BIRs).
Others are erosion control and flood management mechanisms.
The projects were financed from the ecological funds received by states last year.
Ecological Fund in Nigeria represents the 2.3 percent monthly accruals derived from the federation account. Funding ecological projects is targeted at ameliorating serious ecological problems nationwide, and it is one of the techniques used in tackling climate change globally and locally.
In addition, planting trees helps to close the gap for the nationally determined contributions (NDC) target to arrest greenhouse gasses (GHG). It is part of the Paris climate change agreement of 2015.
Popularity of tree planting
Tree planting has become popular in recent times. In 2022, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Borno, Kano, and Bauchi states all picked tree planting in addition to erosion and flood control as sustainable methods of curbing flooding.
Nigeria plans to plant 25 million trees to boost its carbon sink as part of efforts to implement the Paris climate change agreement. Currently, Dobi Settlement, Gwagwalada in Abuja, Rice Mill Gboko in Benue, and Utu Layout Makurdi in Benue, among others, are some of the tree-planting locations in the country, according to the Women Environmental Programme.
An organisation known as Global Giving is planting 5,000 trees in five Nigerian villages “to protect degraded environment, help protect habitat of endangered species and enhance livelihood of rural farmers.”
The British High Commission and the Network of Incubators and Innovators in Nigeria (NINE) launched a tree-planting campaign in Lagos in February 2023 with a view to planting 100 trees in the state. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) is also planting 5.5 million trees over the next five years to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country.
Deputy Director, Parks and Recreation, Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA), Mr Okpe Charles, said in April 2022 that Nigeria must cultivate the habit of planting trees as part of efforts to mitigate climate change and address global warming.
According to Executive Director of eHealth Africa, Ms Juliet Odogwu, the organisation was planting 200 trees in Abuja and 300 in Kano State. On the importance of tree planting, Ms Odogwu said, “Tree planting is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to contribute to making a cleaner planet, removing carbon dioxide from the environment and also beautifying our planet.”
Ecological funds disbursement
The October 2022 flood in Nigeria mostly affected states such as Anambra, Delta, Kogi, Rivers, Benue, Yobe, Cross River, Bayelsa, Kebbi, and Niger It also hit Ekiti, Ogun, Edo, Imo, Enugu, Nasarawa, Abia, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, and Kano. The flood killed more than 600 people, displaced 1.4 million residents and destroyed 89,348 houses and 70,566 hectares of farmland and crops.
Among the states impacted by flooding in 2022, Kano received the highest amount of N3.1 billion, followed by Borno which got N2.46 billion. Bayelsa and Kebbi received N1.20 billion, the lowest among the most impacted states.
Accountability, transparency of ecological funds
The flood cases in Nigeria in October 2022 raises questions as to how ecological funds are used in the country.
Director of Waterwide, Mr Wilson Atumeyi, said, “Nigeria has an accountability deficit, raising concerns about utilising ecological funds.”
He argued that Nigeria’s limited initiatives for tree planting, erosion control, and flood management reflected the country’s lack of appropriate planning and accountability.
He added that it was difficult to determine how the funds were spent, making it challenging to assess whether they adequately addressed ecological challenges.
According to Climate Action Tracker (CAT), Nigeria’s transparency framework had much room for improvement. The lack of transparency restricted Nigeria’s ability to keep track of climate finance and mitigation initiatives, demonstrating why ecological funds must be transparent and accountable.
This report was produced in fulfilment of the UNESCO & CIJ London Climate Change in News Media project facilitated by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.