By: Mama A. Touray
As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations in The Gambia, Africell Gambia has launched a year-long nationwide tree-planting campaign, aiming to plant 25,000 trees across the country.
Over the weekend, Africell, in partnership with the National Environment Agency (NEA), planted 250 coconut trees at Cape Point in Bakau. These trees, integral to the coastal ecosystem, play a vital role in shoreline protection and enhancing environmental resilience.
Ronald Senghore, a senior official at Africell, highlighted the significance of the initiative, saying, “This has never happened in the history of this country. We know it’s an ambitious idea, but we are determined to make it happen throughout the year. Today, we are launching this initiative here at Bakau Cape Point beach by planting 250 coconut trees. These trees will serve as windbreakers, provide shade, create natural habitats for the bird species The Gambia is known for, and encourage tourism and diversity. It will also attract more visitors to this beautiful environment.”
He also reaffirmed Africell’s commitment to contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing, “We know that the UN strongly advocates for these initiatives, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This is our plan moving forward.”
Lamin Camara, representing the NEA, acknowledged the country’s growing environmental challenges, stressing the importance of consistent tree-planting efforts to combat deforestation and coastal erosion. He noted, “As you can see, our coastline faces many environmental challenges, often resulting from human actions. It is crucial that we come together collectively to address these challenges, and initiatives like this are an important step in that direction.”
Camara also urged stakeholders to take ownership of the trees planted and assured them that the NEA would carry out regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure their survival. “Environmental management is not a one-man job. It requires the involvement of every stakeholder. This is one of the ways to foster ownership of the environment. I challenge you all to ensure that, after planting these trees, we monitor their survival rates,” he added.
The event was attended by the Chief Executive Officer of Africell Gambia, along with senior officials from both Africell and the National Environment Agency.
