How we planted more than 5,000 trees during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Abuja Hub of Global Shapers surpassed its goal of planting 5,000 trees, planting a total of 5,360 trees in and around Abuja, Nigeria, between April and October 2020. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the project engaged approximately 1,000 volunteers and ten partner institutions through a combination of socially distanced field activities, an 'each one plant one' home-planting campaign, and the use of GIS and digital communication tools for monitoring and education. The initiative aimed to mitigate climate change, prevent desertification, and restore Abuja's status as the 'Green Capital' of Nigeria, with the resulting trees handed over to local families and children for long-term maintenance.

• The Abuja Hub of Global Shapers exceeded its initial target of 5,000 trees, planting a total of 5,360 trees in rural and urban locations around Nigeria's capital between April and October 2020.
• The project utilized three primary implementation strategies to overcome COVID-19 restrictions: maintaining physical distance and masks during field activities with about 1,000 volunteers, encouraging individuals to plant trees at home or in their immediate communities, and using GIS and online platforms for monitoring and communication.
• The initiative sought to address several environmental and social goals, including fighting deforestation to return Abuja to its status as the 'Green Capital' of Nigeria, capturing carbon dioxide, preventing desertification, and providing food and extra income.
• To ensure the long-term sustainability of the planted trees, the project handed them over to selected children and their families within the communities to nurture.

APA

Murtala, J. O. E. A. (2021). How we planted more than 5,000 trees during the COVID-19 pandemic. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/how-we-planted-5-000-trees-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Chicago

Murtala, Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, Abdullahi. How we planted more than 5,000 trees during the COVID-19 pandemic. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/how-we-planted-5-000-trees-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murtala |first1=Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, Abdullahi |title=How we planted more than 5,000 trees during the COVID-19 pandemic |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=23 March 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/how-we-planted-5-000-trees-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murtala2021how, author = {Murtala, Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, Abdullahi}, title = {{How we planted more than 5,000 trees during the COVID-19 pandemic}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/how-we-planted-5-000-trees-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }