In line with the motto of Wisdom College of Excellence ( WICE) Iwopin, Skills for today, future leaders, learners from the WICE are learning the rope to becoming champions and global leaders of climate action. The learners were on National Afforestation Field Monitoring Trip to Omo Forest Reserve area J4 and J6, Ogun state on Tuesday 6th May 2025
The team from Wisdom College of Excellence (WICE) Iwopin participated in a monitoring trip to the J6 Afforestation program in Omo Forest Reserve to strengthen the school AgroForestry and Climate change programme. The program is part of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu National Afforestation and Climate Change Adaptation programme aimed at planting 20 Hectares of trees in Ogun state.
Key Highlights:
– Representatives from the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ogun State Ministry of Forestry used the opportunity of the monitoring trip to provide training on the importance of trees and afforestation in preventing ozone layer depletion and climate change adaptation.
– The training emphasized the role of afforestation in:
– *Carbon sequestration*: Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a key contributor to climate change.
– *Ozone layer protection*: Trees help maintain ecosystem balance, which supports ozone layer recovery.
– *Climate change adaptation*: Afforestation enhances resilience to climate impacts, such as extreme weather events.
*Taungya farming* a farming system where short duration crops such as maize, pepper and tomato is planted with trees such as teak and gmelina.
– WICE students gained hands-on experience in monitoring afforestation efforts and understanding the significance of Taungya farming and sustainable forest management.
*Observations*
– The Omo Forest Reserve afforestation program demonstrates the potential for collaborative efforts between government agencies, NGOs, and educational institutions to drive environmental sustainability.
– The training provided valuable insights into the importance of trees and afforestation in addressing climate change.
Recommendations:
– Continue to engage students in environmental conservation efforts to promote awareness and inspire action.
– Explore opportunities for further collaboration with government agencies and NGOs on environmental projects.
– The learners were encouraged to be ambassadors and extension agents for climate change education.
This field trip enhanced the WICE students’ understanding of afforestation and climate change, fostering a deeper appreciation for environmental conservation.
WICE is currently working with farmers in Ogun state to promote taungya system and agro forestry extension services required for climate change adaptation.
Ealier in the year, the WICE agro forestry and climate change team participated in the nursery of the twenty-three thousand ( 23,000) seedlings to be planted in Ogun State. The programme is providing Farmer Field School, nursery establishment, agro forestry, collaboration and partnership on climate change monitoring opportunities to the learners and staff of WICE, Iwopin.
