Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led the country on Friday to commemorate the national tree planting day, which targets planting at least 10 million tree seedlings to reverse the trend of deforestation and mitigate climate change.
The national day, christened “Green Ghana Day,” was marked in all 261 districts under the theme, “Growing for a Greener Tomorrow.”
Akufo-Addo joined a tree-planting activity at Burma Camp, the headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces.\
The president in his speech admonished Ghanaians to plant more trees in the spirit of patriotism to consolidate the gains made in the past three years.
According to him, at least 42 million tree seedlings were planted over the past three years, with a high survival rate. He hoped that the 10 million seedlings to be planted this year would also survive to boost the country’s afforestation drive.
“This tree planting exercise must not end, but continue until the trees can stand on their own and contribute to the sustainable future to which we aspire,” the president urged.
Akufo-Addo added, “In addition to tree planting, we must integrate sustainable practices into our daily lives. It is the little things that we do daily that can guarantee the future that we want.”
At a separate event, the diplomatic community in Ghana joined the Forestry Commission to plant more trees in the Achimota Forest, a greenbelt in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.
In his speech read for him, John Allotey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, lauded the diplomatic community for their continued support for the Green Ghana Project
.Allotey noted that this is the fourth year in a row that the foreign envoys participated in the Green Ghana Day activities, underscoring the importance they attach to the country’s efforts to reverse deforestation and mitigate climate change.
“Planting the seedlings does not end the process. We should also nurture them to maturity. I want to advise the public to plant these seedlings in places where they will be available forever,” Allotey urged.
Maher Kheir, the Lebanese ambassador to Ghana and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps with Hugh Brown, Executive Director of Forest Srvices Division of the FC during the 2024 Green Ghana Day
Maher Kheir, the Lebanese ambassador to Ghana and dean of the diplomatic corps, noted that the vagaries of climate change are affecting all countries, as deforestation is depriving the world of natural forest resources. “A lasting solution is needed, and we all have a critical role to play in this. Small actions by many can lead to a big change,” Kheir stated.