The Managing Director of the Hadejia Jam’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA), Rabiu Bichi, on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, extolled the donation of 100 tree seedlings by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) to the authority.
He described the invaluable gesture as a major boost to the extant efforts aimed at tackling climate change, land degradation and soil erosion in the region.
Bichi stated this while receiving the seedlings donated by APWEN for onward distribution to farmers within the authority’s operational areas.
He commended the association for what he termed a timely and thoughtful intervention that aligned with the agency’s mandate of sustainable environmental and agricultural development.
According to the managing director, the authority would ensure that the seedlings are distributed to farmers across Kano, Bauchi and Jigawa states.
He stressed that the beneficiaries would be encouraged to plant and nurture the trees on their farms to achieve long-term environmental benefits.
Bichi stated that tree planting remained one of the most effective ways of curbing soil erosion, combating desertification and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change
According to him, this is particularly in river basin communities that are vulnerable to environmental degradation.
Bichi further assured that the HJRBDA would intensify its sensitisation programmes to educate farmers on the importance of tree planting, sustainable land use and environmental protection, adding that collective action is crucial to achieving lasting results.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the association, Safiyya Aliyu Mahmud, said the donation was part of its corporate social responsibility aimed at addressing climate change challenges in society.
She explained that APWEN provided 100 tree seedlings of different varieties, which would be planted across the areas covered by the river basin authority.
This is to help restore degraded land and reduce the menace of soil erosion and other environmental problems.
She said that professional bodies have a responsibility to support government efforts in promoting environmental sustainability, stressing that women engineers were committed to using their expertise and platforms to contribute to national development.
She expressed confidence that the collaboration with HJRBDA would yield positive results, especially with the authority’s wide reach among farmers and rural communities.
The APWEN chairperson called on farmers and community members to take ownership of the initiative by ensuring the seedlings are properly planted and protected
She added that tree planting was an investment in the future of coming generations.
By Aminu Garko