The Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in conjunction with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has mobilised communities across the State to take greater responsibility for environmental protection through tree planting, protection of water bodies and preservation of indigenous conservation practices.
The call formed part of a Community and Street-to-Street Awareness Campaign on Climate Change and Global Warming held from September 21 to October 2, 2026, under Pillar 4 of the 2025 Greening Schools and Climate Change Education Intervention (GSCCEI).
The Desk Officer and facilitator of the campaign, Mr. Ellah Constant Arobor, urged residents to end indiscriminate felling of trees, warning that the continued loss of vegetation was contributing to environmental degradation, erosion and excessive heat.
Arobor said communities should replace trees that had been cut down and make tree planting a regular practice rather than waiting for government intervention, stressing that environmental protection was a collective responsibility.
“Everybody is involved. It is a collective duty,” he said.
As part of the campaign, tree seedlings were distributed to participating communities for planting and nurturing, while Arobor encouraged residents to establish and protect buffer zones around rivers and streams to prevent activities that destroy vegetation around water bodies.
He said sustained protection of such areas over five to 10 years could significantly contribute to the restoration of degraded ecosystems, stressing that communities could take action without waiting for government.
“Creating a buffer zone, you mustn’t wait for government. Planting trees to protect the environment, you mustn’t wait for government,” he said.
The Desk Officer expressed concern over the declining presence of trees in some school environments, noting that some schools that previously had diverse tree species were gradually losing their vegetation.
He advised schools to designate portions of their premises for tree planting and ensure that seedlings were properly nurtured to maturity, while encouraging communities to revive indigenous knowledge and traditional practices that support environmental conservation.
Arobor also urged residents to seek technical assistance and improved seedlings from relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Forestry Commission, and to begin with actions within their capacity.
Also speaking, the Director of Academic Services, Cross River SUBEB, Mrs Caroline Ana, and another facilitator, Mr Effiom Ekpo, stressed the importance of community participation in climate change education and environmental protection, while the campaign promoted practical action to protect the State’s natural resources.
The campaign covered Akamkpa, Ayembam Village, Odukpani, Ikot Okon, Biase and Ikot Ogbora in the Southern Senatorial District; Ikom, Alok, Nkim and Enagebe in the Central District; and Ogoja and Oboja-Ishibori in the Northern District.
By Joy Ndoma
