FRIN DONATES 5,000 TREE SEEDLINGS TO REDEEMER’S VARSITY

The Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria has donated a total of 5,000 tree seedlings to Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, and established a 3.3-hectare plantation on the institution’s campus as part of efforts to promote afforestation and combat climate change.

The latest intervention saw FRIN donate 3,500 tree seedlings, complementing the 1,500 seedlings earlier provided to the university in 2025, according to a statement by the media aide to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of FRIN, Idara Umoh-Ido.

The statement said the initiative aligned with the vision of the Director-General, Prof Zacharia Yaduma, whose administration has intensified afforestation programmes aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, conserving biodiversity and mitigating the effects of climate change across the country.

The donated seedlings comprise four economically important tree species of Khaya senegalensis, Terminalia superba, Gmelina arborea and Tectona grandis, which have been planted across the university campus.

According to the statement, the combined donation fulfilled a commitment made by Yaduma following a request by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Shadrach Akindele, in 2025.

It added that the institute also established a 3.3-hectare plantation within the university to deepen collaboration on environmental sustainability, forestry education and research.

The plantation project marked the first official assignment of the newly established FRIN Tropical Rainforest Resource Centre, Inisa, under the leadership of Sulaiman Rafiu.

The tree-planting exercise was coordinated by the South-West Afforestation Programme Officer, A. B. Salaudeen, who supervised the implementation of the project.

The statement noted that the initiative reflected FRIN’s statutory mandate to promote afforestation, conserve Nigeria’s forest resources and encourage greater participation by institutions in tree-planting efforts as a sustainable response to climate change and environmental degradation.

It added that under Yaduma’s leadership, the institute has continued to strengthen partnerships with educational institutions and other stakeholders to expand the country’s forest cover, improve ecosystem resilience and promote sustainable environmental management.