By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo

The Taraba State Government has urged students across the state to embrace tree planting as a collective effort to combat the growing impact of climate change.

Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Aishat Barde, made the call while inaugurating the state’s 2026 School Tree Planting Campaign at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Jalingo.

Barde said climate change was already affecting Taraba through changing rainfall patterns, declining agricultural productivity, pressure on water resources and other environmental challenges.

“Climate change is no longer a distant conversation. It is affecting our rainfall patterns, agriculture, water resources, biodiversity and the livelihoods of our people,” she said.

She noted that rising temperatures, drought, flooding, deforestation, desertification, land degradation and pollution required urgent collective action.

According to the commissioner, tree planting remains one of the most effective and accessible ways to address environmental degradation.

“A tree is far more than a plant. It is a source of life. Trees provide oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, reduce erosion, protect water sources, provide shade, improve biodiversity and contribute to healthier communities. Every tree planted today is an investment in tomorrow,” she said.

Barde said the initiative aligned with Governor Agbu Kefas’ commitment to restoring the environment and building a greener, cleaner and more climate-resilient Taraba State.

She encouraged students to serve as environmental ambassadors by planting and nurturing trees, keeping their surroundings clean and inspiring others to protect the environment.

In her remarks, the Principal of FGGC Jalingo, Rose Sule, thanked the state government for selecting the school for the pilot phase of the campaign.

She described the initiative as a practical learning experience that would instill environmental responsibility in the students.

“As a school committed to raising well-rounded young women, we see this as education beyond the classroom. It is a practical lesson our students will carry with them long after they leave these walls,” she said.

Sule also pledged that the 100 tree seedlings planted on the school premises would be properly nurtured to maturity as part of efforts to promote a greener and more climate-friendly environment.