Ogun State’s Ministry of Forestry is set to receive a major boost with the plan by Nigerian Breweries PLC to reforestation of 500 hectares of the Olokemeji Forest reserve in Abeokuta, the state capital.
In a press briefing held at the conference room of the Forestry ministry, Mrs Sade Morgan, Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, announced that the project will contribute 600,000 indigenous trees to the forest reserve once completed.
Under the project Nigerian Breweries will spend N500 million over the next 10 years to achieve this target. The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan was also announced as the implementation partner for the project, along with experts in the Ogun State Forestry Ministry.
Speaking at the event, the Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry, Engineer Tunji Akinosi expressed immense satisfaction and gratitude to the management for contributing its quota to making the environment sustainable.
“We are highly delighted about this move by Nigerian Breweries Plc which we believe would go a long way to improving the recharge of the Ewekoro and Abeokuta aquifer and enhancing the health of the watershed. By this action, NB Plc has clearly demonstrated that they are not only interested in returns, but also ensuring that they leave the environment safer,” Akinosi said.
In her remarks at the signing ceremony, Mrs. Sade Morgan thanked the state government for its partnership and vision towards the preservation of the environment, which aligns with the company’s sustainability agenda, tagged Brewing a Better World (BaBW).
“Our commitment to the reforestation of the Olokemeji Forest Reserve, which is aimed at improving the quality of life for the community and people of Ogun State, is one of such activities. On completion, it will ensure retention of rainfall runoffs within the watershed and recharge the aquifers, preventing soil erosion and ultimately reducing CO2 emissions,” she stressed.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
