President John Dramani Mahama last Friday launched the 'Tree for Life' initiative, a groundbreaking afforestation and agro-forestry programme to protect the country's environment.
During the launch at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region, President Mahama said unlike previous tree-planting campaigns that focused only on numbers, "this initiative prioritises sustainability, ensuring that planted trees thrive and provide long-term benefits".
This ambitious project seeks to distribute a staggering seven million seedlings of ornamental and food crops to various government agencies, the private sector, and the general public for planting. "This is not just about protecting nature, it is also about economic empowerment," the President emphasised, adding "the initiative would create thousands of jobs in areas such as: forestry management, nursery development, and sustainable agriculture." President Mahama said the 'Tree for Life Initiative' was about more than just planting trees "it is about hope, resilience, and securing a green and vibrant Ghana for future generations." A critical component of the Tree for Life Initiative, he said was the government's renewed crackdown on illegal mining, emphasising that no government appointee should engage in any form of mining, whether legal or illegal.
President Mahama said the initiative had several key objectives such as environmental protection, to create awareness about the importance of trees in protecting the environment and combating climate change. "It would also restore lands and rivers degraded by galamsey activities and ensure youth empowerment, by way of instilling in the Ghanaian youth a spirit and desire to protect the environment," he added. "Also it aims to encourage private sector participation in sustainable environmental policies and promote environmental education by involving schools, from the basic level to tertiary institutions, in tree-planting exercises," he said.
