The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) has launched an urban gardening and tree planting campaign in the Shabu Development Area of Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The event, which was held to commemorate World Environment Day (WED) 2026, specifically targeted Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to strengthen local food security and combat land degradation.
The initiative, supported by the Embassy of France in Nigeria, kicked off with the distribution of 220 economic trees, including mango seedlings, oil palm seedlings, orange seedlings, and coconut trees, at the Palace of the Sangari of Shabu.
Speaking at the official presentation of the economic trees, the Executive Director of GIFSEP, Dr. Michael Terungwa David, emphasised that tree planting remains one of the most practical and cost-effective nature-based solutions to the triple threats of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.
“Tree planting is not just about putting seedlings in the ground. It is about restoring degraded landscapes, protecting livelihoods, securing our food systems, and safeguarding the future of generations yet unborn. Climate change affects everyone, and climate action is everybody’s responsibility. We must all become custodians of nature,” Dr. David said.
According to him, the initiative is a core component of GIFSEP’s #Food4PWDs Campaign, designed to empower vulnerable groups who are frequently left behind in traditional climate adaptation programmes.
He said through the intervention, beneficiaries are being equipped with practical urban gardening skills and Urban Garden Starter Kits containing vegetable seeds, organic manure, empty sacks for sack farming, watering cans, and hand tools.
“Persons with disabilities are not victims; they are agents of change. By equipping them with the tools and knowledge to grow food and restore the environment, we are promoting dignity, strengthening resilience, and ensuring that no one is left behind,” he said.
In her remarks, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Margaret Elayo, represented by the Director of Climate Change, Umar Sabo, lauded the partnership between the organisation and the state government.
Sabo reiterated the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s unwavering commitment to land restoration, describing the exercise as a “beacon of hope” for the state.
“Today is simple but powerful: we are planting hope. One tree gives shade, holds our soil, cleans our air, and secures food for our children. But 1,000 trees together can change a community. They fight the floods, push back the heat, and bring back the rains our farmers need.
“To the people of Shabu, these trees are now yours. Plant them, nurture them, and let Shabu become a model of a green community in Nasarawa State,” he said.
Responding, the Sangarin Shabu, Alhaji Mahmud Bwala, represented by the Madaki of Shabu, Alhaji Musa Shaibu, expressed immense gratitude to GIFSEP and the Ministry of Environment.
He noted that the community has already institutionalised a strict environmental conservation policy.
“The Ministry of Environment was here sometime and said, ‘To every one tree we cut, there should be three representing it.’ We are aware of it now, and we have been doing it. And that is the reason why next time when you come, you will see a different thing,” Alhaji Shaibu revealed.
The traditional ruler further appealed to GIFSEP to increase the volume of seedlings distributed to ensure a total ecological transformation of the domain.
“We are appealing to you that you have given us, but I think we still need more so that in one year’s time, if you come here, you will not recognise this place. It will become green. We appeal to you to give us priority and increase it right now before we meet again,” he appealed.
