Telecommunication giant, Vodafone Ghana, has planted trees of various species across the country to help restore depleted vegetation and address issues of climate change.
The day also falls in line with Vodafone Ghana’s Planet goal, an initiative to save the country’s forest from further depletion. The exercise, done in collaboration with the Forestry Commission and the Ghana International School, was also in support of the government’s Green Ghana Project.
Under this project, Vodafone Ghana is expected to plant 4,000 tree seedlings in the month of June this year, out of this, some were planted at the Accra Zoo Car Park.
Speaking with the media after planting some of the trees at the Achimota Forest, Accra Zoo, Director of Human Resource at Vodafone Ghana, Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, said forest played an important role in the economic advancement of every nation, as it could not be separated from food security, clean and abundant water resources, energy, climate change and biodiversity conservation.
Ms. Akrong said reversing the country’s forest depletion, therefore, called for measures that were drastic and continual.
She said the Green Ghana initiative fitted into the company’s Planet Goal Project, which started three years ago, which seeks to deliver initiatives that protected the planet and ensured the success of businesses did not come at a cost to the environment. She disclosed that more than 3,000 trees were planted by the company across the country since last year through a partnership with the Forestry Commission and Ghana International School.
“As a purpose-led organisation, we committed to helping ensure a sustainable future for all by embarking on a campaign that will save the country’s forest from depletion. This is why we are supporting the President’s call to help regain the enormous forest cover that the nation had, by once again partnering the Forestry Commission and Ghana International School to plant 4,000 seedlings throughout the month of June,” she said.
She added that the company had outlined several initiatives throughout June, to contribute to the Green Ghana agenda, as well as inspire Ghanaians and other organisations to take steps to protect the planet.
Ms. Ashiokai Akrong also hinted plans to make internet connectivity accessible to persons who visit the zoo. “Ultimately what we want to do at the Accra Zoo Car park is, once we plant the trees, we will come back to make it WiFi enable so people can sit under the trees and enjoy the internet.” She therefore called on Ghanaians to join in the campaign, plant more trees and save the environment.
Mr. George Agbenowoshi, Deputy Regional Manager for Greater Accra, Forestry Commission, said the Green Ghana Day formed part of the Commission and Ministry’s activities to commemorate this year’s World Forestry Day, which was marked on March 21.
He said the Commission was planting 450 species of seedlings in Greater Accra, adding that several more had been planted across the country. He said the Forestry Commission was collaborating with the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to ensure that trees that are planted were nurtured, protected and maintained.
“We have been assured by them that what we have planted will be maintained,” Mr. Agbenowoshi said, adding that the Commission had carefully chosen the species of plants to ensure that they thrived, especially in the era of climate change.
