In a significant move to restore degraded environments and strengthen community resilience, the Rural Development Counsellor for Christian Churches in Africa (RURCON) has kicked off a major tree planting initiative in Maiyanga and Butura Company communities, Bokkos LGA, Plateau State. The project is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP).
Targeting 400 households, each family is expected to plant at least six economic trees mainly avocado seedlings. The aim is to promote both environmental recovery and economic empowerment in communities previously impacted by violent conflict and natural disasters.
Speaking at the ceremonial launch in Maiyanga on Tuesday, August 5, the Director General of the Plateau State Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA), Mr. Samuel Dapiya, described the initiative as a “symbol of hope.”
“More than planting trees, this project is about restoring lives and livelihoods,” Dapiya said. “This region faces serious environmental threats from erosion due to mining to frequent windstorms. These trees will serve as natural windbreakers, enhance biodiversity, improve air quality, and most importantly build resilience in a community that has endured immense hardship.”
RURCON’s Executive Director, Mrs. Dinatu Ayizat, noted that the initiative goes beyond environmental restoration. It is also a strategy for improving food security and household income.
“These are not just trees they’re fruit-bearing trees that offer long-term benefits,” she explained. “After the devastating 2023 Christmas attacks that left many homes destroyed and the land degraded, we identified these communities as priorities. This project is our way of supporting their recovery both environmentally and economically.”
Beyond tree planting, the initiative includes training on climate-smart agriculture, organic farming, and the production of eco-friendly alternatives like charcoal briquettes and economic cooking stoves. These measures aim to combat deforestation, enhance soil fertility, and build sustainable farming systems.
Director of Programmes at RURCON, Mr. Gado Seth Yashim, revealed that 1,500 avocado seedlings are being distributed to each community. To ensure sustainability, any dead trees must be replaced with eight new ones.
“These trees are both environmental solutions and economic resources,” Yashim said. “We’re encouraging the communities to take full ownership not just in planting, but in nurturing these trees. We’re also introducing complementary practices such as organic composting, irrigation, agroforestry, and livestock management.”
Traditional leader Amos Jalang described the project as “timely and impactful,” highlighting how the economic trees will help rebuild livelihoods.
Local beneficiaries, including Nanlop Enoch and Mashat Damla Abraham, expressed their appreciation, noting that the trees would provide food, serve as wind barriers, and become lasting environmental assets for the region.
“This kind of intervention doesn’t just plant trees it plants hope in the hearts of our people,” one beneficiary added.
As implementation continues, RURCON and its partners reaffirm their commitment to environmental sustainability, community resilience, and economic empowerment across Plateau State.
