Northern Regional Minister Leads Tree-Planting Ceremony, Calls on Citizens to “Grow a Future” with Tree for Life Campaign
Sagnarigu, Northern Region — In the warm morning light of May 5, 2025, the dry earth of the Sagnarigu Municipality gave way to a tender gesture of hope — the planting of a single tree. It was the first of many as Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John Mburudiba, led a symbolic tree-planting ceremony to mark the regional launch of Ghana’s bold new green campaign: the Tree for Life initiative.
The ceremony, marked by unity, urgency, and environmental spirit, brought together high-ranking officials and community members — among them the Northern Regional Police Commander, the Chief Director of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, Sagnarigu Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Abdulai Imoro Gong, and the Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS).
“This is not just about trees. It’s about survival. It’s about the future of our land and our children,” Minister Mburudiba told the gathering, his hands still soiled from planting. “Let each of us plant and nurture at least one tree — not just for ourselves, but for the generations after us.”
The Tree for Life campaign — launched on March 21, 2025, by President John Dramani Mahama — seeks to plant a staggering 30 million seedlings across Ghana. The aim: restore degraded landscapes, reclaim ecological balance, and combat the fast-paced deforestation threatening the country’s natural heritage.
Under the initiative, the Northern Region alone has been tasked with planting one million trees. It’s an ambitious goal, but one the Regional Forestry Commission believes is well within reach.
“We’ve made seedlings available at all district forestry offices, free of charge, until June 30,” said Mr. Kwasi Frimpong, the Northern Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission. “We’re calling on schools, churches, mosques, households — everyone — to step up and help re-green our region.”
The launch comes amid sweeping national reforms. The government has repealed legislation that once allowed mining in forest reserves and is on track to become the first African country to issue Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) licenses by the end of June — a landmark move in forest governance.
Across the Northern Region, the launch echoed far beyond Sagnarigu. In towns and villages stretching from Yendi to Bole, district chief executives led synchronized planting exercises, with school children, farmers, assembly members, and youth groups taking up hoes and seedlings to sow new beginnings.
Many see the campaign as more than a policy — it’s a call to conscience. The Northern Region, like much of Ghana, has long felt the sting of environmental degradation. Bushfires, overgrazing, and deforestation have left scars on once-verdant land. For many residents, this initiative feels personal.
“This tree,” said 14-year-old Latifa from Tamale who planted her first seedling with her classmates, “is for my grandmother’s farm, which dried up. Maybe the rains will come again.”
Environmental experts agree that grassroots involvement will be key to the campaign’s success.
“This isn’t just a ceremonial event,” said Dr. Selina Abdulai, an environmental scientist from UDS who attended the launch. “If people plant trees and forget them, we gain nothing. But if we plant with intention, with care, this region could bloom again.”
As the final seedlings were tucked into the soil and the day’s heat gave way to evening winds, the message of the day lingered: planting trees is more than an act of restoration — it’s an act of faith.
With the Tree for Life initiative now firmly rooted in the Northern Region, citizens are being called not only to plant — but to nurture. Because in every seed lies the promise of shade, sustenance, and survival.
By Issifu Alidu Laa-Bandow; story sourced from the NRCC official Facebook page
