Environment
WED: Firm Plants 120 Trees
As part of the World Environment Day (WED) celebration, Siat Nigeria Limited, last Monday planted over 120 assorted types of fruit trees to safeguard the environment and make it a better place.
In keeping with the theme of the event, ‘Reconnect With Nature’, workers of the company, who were shared into groups, actually reconnected with nature, as each of them stooped and planted different types of fruit trees, ranging from paw paw, sweet orange, pear, lime to guava, sour sop and coconut, among others.
This was after Mr. Marvellous Ogala, had thoroughly tutored them on the significance of the World Environment Day (WED) celebration, an initiative of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), to create, encourage and promote awareness on the environment, with a view to protecting and improving it.
Ogala, during a special presentation organised by the company to mark the day, said Siat Nigeria Limited, as an agro-allied company was committed to protecting a sustainable environment, through its policy on zero burning, no deforestation, conservation of the environment and pollution control, by reducing to the barest minimum Green House Gases (GHG).
He indicated that this year’s WED, which was hosted by Canada, had planting of trees as its major focus.
Ogala said planting of trees had both social, economic and environmental benefits, insisting that trees are the lungs of the planet.
The Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Gerald Ray, while highlighting the importance of planting trees said, ‘by planting trees, we are sharing the environment with others and educating others about our environment”.
He said the importance of WED cannot be over-emphasised, as the celebration of the day was all-embracing, particularly against the backdrop of humanity using it as a platform for “preserving and protecting our collective heritage and future”, stressing that the day provides an opportunity for the world to make a difference.
He said, in an interview with newsmen that workers of the company, who had participated in the event, were offered an ample and unique opportunity to share their experiences with their families and their loved ones.
Ray stressed the need for greater number of people of the world to be involved in the planting of trees in order to make the world a better place.
He said Siat Nigeria Limited, in keeping with its best operational policies always strives for the best.
“Siat has to be the best and we do the best we could through transparency and discipline”, he intoned, adding that this must have influenced the recent award presented to the company by the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike during the Golden Jubilee celebration of the state.
The chief operating officer said the support the company was getting from the present administration was second to none, assuring that the company would continue to do its best to contribute to the development of the state.
Workers of the company, actually added colour to the event, as they trooped out of their offices, into the adjoining streets, within the premises, singing and dancing for the environment, to the admiration of on-lookers.
Donatus Ebi
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.
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