Environment Day: Tinubu calls for win-win transition to prosperous, clean economy future 

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On World Environment Day, President Bola Tinubu urged citizens, stakeholders, institutions, and development partners to take earnest action to safeguard the environment and foster a prosperous and clean economic future.

According to Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, he addressed this year’s Environment Day theme, ‘Land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience,’ emphasizing its significance for Nigeria, where drought threatens parts of the country.

Established by the United Nations in 1972, World Environment Day [June 5] serves as a crucial platform for raising awareness about environmental issues.

UN projections reveal that about 40 percent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of the global population. Additionally, the number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 percent since 2000, with potential repercussions for over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050 without urgent action.

In alignment with Nigeria’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, President Tinubu formed the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, tasked with overseeing climate mitigation, adaptation efforts, and green economy initiatives.

Furthermore, President Tinubu approved Nigeria’s inaugural Green Industrial Zone, Evergreen City, set to become Africa’s premier manufacturing hub for renewable energy technologies, green solutions, and climate adaptation technologies.

Affirming his commitment, the President aims to plant 25 million trees by 2030, not only for environmental protection but also to create opportunities for Nigerian youth in the green economy sector.

President Tinubu advocates for proactive measures such as afforestation, water conservation, and halting indiscriminate tree felling to protect the land and ecosystem, emphasizing that healing our world begins with healing the land and its people.