Green Ghana 2024: Presidential ‘Alasa’ tree planted

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo yesterday led the nation for the fourth consecutive year to plant trees in a bold effort to green the country’s landscape again to conserve biodiversity and combat pollution.

The President explained that beyond their environmental benefits, forests and trees were essential natural resources for socio-economic development, especially in developing the country, while providing livelihoods for the majority of the population. 

Just before planting the seedling of an African Star Apple, commonly known as ‘Alasa’ (Chrysophyllum albidum) at the Nicholson stadium, Burma Camp, President Akufo-Addo said in the last three years, under the Green Ghana project, the country had planted about 42 million trees. 

He announced that most of the trees were thriving, and that the special day provided an opportunity to add at least an additional 10 million trees to bring the total to 52 million in just four years, describing the feat as “an incredible achievement”. 

The President was joined by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor; the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul; the Minister for the Interior, Henry Quartey; the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ophelia Hayford; the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, and some parliamentarians. Also present was the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen. 

Thomas OppongPeprah, other service chiefs, the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission; John Allotey, the chairman and some members of the Forestry Commission Board.

 Recall

 In the inaugural event on June 11, 2021, President Akufo-Addo planted a Moringa seedling, also known as the tree of life due to its numerous health benefits to commemorate the Green Ghana day. 

He planted the tree at the Jubilee House where state dignitaries converged to mark the day. 

The theme was “Growing for a Greener Tomorrow”. On June 10, 2022, President AkufoAddo planted the African Mahogany seedling at the Efua Sutherland Memorial park in Accra on the theme “Mobilising for a Greener Future”. 

Last year on June 9, the President planted the Velvet Tamarind, known locally as ‘yooyi” by the Gas, atsitoe by the Ewes and ‘Asamba’ by Fantes, at the University of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. 

That event was on the theme “Our Forest, Our Health.”

 Grab a seedling President Akufo-Addo urged all Ghanaians to “grab a seedling, plant and nurture it to maturity”, because every seedling planted was a step towards a sustainable future, adding that the goal could not be achieved if the seedlings were not cared for. 

“We cannot provide the greener tomorrow we desire if the seedlings do not grow to maturity. 

This tree planting exercise must not end today. 

It must continue until the trees can stand on their own and contribute to the sustainable future we are aspiring to attain,” the President stated. 

“The theme, ‘Growing for a Greener Tomorrow’, must inspire us to participate in this national tree planting exercise,” President AkufoAddo said.

Greenhouse gas President Akufo-Addo said Ghana was committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by six to four million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, and by that enhance the country’s resilience and adaptation to climate change.

 As part of measures to achieve that goal, Ghana launched the resilient country package at the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) 28 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Dubai last year, he added.

The President said the initiative aimed at advancing nature based industrialisation and sustainable rural development, building an inclusive green country economy with future green jobs to scale up the nation’s climate ambition. 

President Akufo-Addo added that the momentous country package would be complemented by several other programmes being implemented in the forestry sector, including this ambitious Green Ghana project. 

President Akufo-Addo stated that the project also accorded with the country’s commitment under the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021 – 2030), to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems, and raise awareness of the importance of successful ecosystem restoration. 

He explained that in addition to ensuring the growth of the trees planted, Ghana must integrate sustainable practices into the nation’s daily life, such as incorporating it into the little things done daily to guarantee the future. 

“Through these efforts we can restore the fundamentals required to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations,” he added.

 Private sector

 President Akufo-Addo emphasised the need to execute the noble venture without burdening the public purse, and therefore, called on the private sector to embrace the worthy project and commit resources to make it a success. 

He commended the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, and his staff and those of the Forestry Commission for the work done and also the decision to institute the One-Student, One-Tree initiative.

Exemplary leadership 

Mr Jinapor announced that following Ghana’s exemplary leadership at the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) dialogue and other international initiatives, Ghana was made co-Chair of FCLP alongside the United States of America. 

He said both countries had since worked closely with the former United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, and his successor, John Podesta. 

“Already, significant progress has been made under this initiative, with President Akufo-Addo launching our Resilient Ghana Country Package at COP28 in Dubai, which was strongly endorsed by the COP28 President, Razan Al Mubarak, and supported by the governments of Canada, Singapore, United States of America and the United Arab Emirates,” Mr Jinapor said. 

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister recalled that last year the country became the second country in Africa and the third in the world to receive results-based payments from the World Bank’s Carbon Fund for reducing emissions under the Ghana Cocoa REDD+ Programme which the President launched in 2019. 

Following from that, Mr Jinapor said Ghana signed a new Emission Reductions Purchase Agreement (ERPA) under the Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF) Coalition at COP28, becoming one of two countries to sign such a progressive agreement. “Just last month, we signed a similar agreement with Tullow Oil, replicating the global gains here in our country,” the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo, stated. Background The Green Ghana Project started in 2021 as part of the government’s aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme meant to restore the country’s degraded landscape. 

Since 2021, the government has planted almost 42 million trees in degraded forest reserves and other offreserve areas as part of the GGD project. 

In the first edition, seven million trees were planted, while 24 million trees and 10.7 million tree seedlings were planted in 2022 and 2023, respectively. 

On April 16, this year, the Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abubakari II, launched the 2024 edition of the Green Ghana Day with the target to plant 10 million trees. This year’s event was heralded by the “One Student, One Tree” initiative, jointly ushered in by Mr Jinapor and the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, in Kyebi last Monday. It is an initiative where every student is expected to plant a tree to mark the Green Ghana Day.