The Chief Executive Officer of Global Green Pillars Initiative (GGPI), Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, OON, has flagged off a large-scale tree planting and educational support programme across secondary schools in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The intervention, powered by Barr. Jatto as part of her several personal initiatives in environmental advocacy, climate education and girl-child empowerment, featured the distribution of 15,000 copies of writing and learning materials, eco-friendly reusable sanitary pads, climate-friendly materials, and the planting of economic trees in selected schools.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Barr. Jatto, who also serves as the State Project Coordinator of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, said the school outreach is not a one-off event, but a deliberate and sustained effort to catch children young and instil in them a culture of environmental stewardship.
According to her, the programme goes beyond distribution, as it also involved intensive lectures for students on how best to make use of and protect the environment. She charged the students to see themselves as custodians of the environment, stressing that a friendly and healthy environment is a shared responsibility.
Barr. Jatto disclosed that her Non-Governmental Organisation, GGPI, has continued to preach against the indiscriminate use of plastics, which she described as a major threat to the environment, drainages, soil fertility and human health. She called for the discouraging of the use of plastics and encouraged the use of biodegradable materials as a sustainable alternative for everyday use.
As part of efforts to discourage disposable pads which contribute to plastic pollution, the GGPI boss distributed reusable sanitary pads to schoolgirls across the benefiting schools. The pads, which are washable and reusable for up to twelve months, are aimed at promoting menstrual hygiene, keeping girls in school and reducing environmental waste.
In a symbolic demonstration of her message, Barr. Jatto led students, teachers and volunteers in the planting of economic trees such as mango, cashew and moringa, which will provide shade, nutrition, and future economic value to the schools.
To ensure sustainability, the CEO inaugurated Green Pillars Clubs and decorated Green Pillars Ambassadors in each of the schools visited. The Clubs will serve as environmental vanguards, charged with nurturing the planted trees, promoting climate education, and championing the campaign against plastics within their schools and communities.
In a further demonstration of her commitment to education, Barr. Jatto also awarded scholarships to indigent but brilliant students across the schools in Kogi Central, covering Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi, Okene and Ogori-Magongo Local Government Areas.
She said the distribution of 15,000 copies of writing materials was aimed at easing the financial burden on parents, encouraging school retention, and enhancing learning outcomes.
Stakeholders, including principals, teachers, traditional leaders and parents, commended Barr. Jatto for her personal commitment, describing her as a rare blend of environmentalist, philanthropist and education advocate whose several initiatives are making the environment friendly and healthy while securing the future of the girl-child.
They noted that the initiative, which fuses tree planting, discouragement of plastics, encouragement of biodegradable materials, distribution of climate-friendly materials, learning support and girl-child dignity, is a world-class model that aligns with the objectives of the World Bank-supported ACReSAL Project and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on climate action, quality education and gender equality.
