Climate change: Women engineers donate 100 tree seedlings to HJRBDA
By: Abudu Olalekan
Climate change is not waiting for anyone, and in the Hadejia–Jama’are river basin, the signs are already there. The wind. The tired soil. The gullies that creep a little farther after each heavy rain. So on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, something small but meaningful happened at the Hadejia Jam’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA). A group of women engineers walked in with a gift that fits in the back of a vehicle, yet speaks to a much bigger fight: 100 tree seedlings.
Not a grand ceremony. Not a long speech with plenty big grammar. Just action. Quick, direct.
The Managing Director of HJRBDA, Rabiu Bichi, received the seedlings from the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) and didn’t hide his excitement. He praised the donation as a strong push for the authority’s ongoing work against climate change, land degradation, and soil erosion across the region. And honestly, he had a point. Tree seedlings may look like “just plants” to some people, but to farming communities dealing with erosion, desertification, and harsh weather patterns, they can be protection. They can be shade. They can be a line of defense.
Bichi explained that the seedlings will be distributed to farmers within HJRBDA’s operational areas, especially across Kano, Bauchi, and Jigawa states. That part matters. Because if the trees stay in a nursery or end up as “photo opportunity,” nothing changes. But if they reach farms and actually survive, then you start seeing results—slowly, then suddenly.
He also stressed that beneficiaries will be encouraged to plant and nurture the trees until they grow strong enough to stand on their own. That “nurture” part is the whole game. Planting is easy. Keeping a seedling alive through heat, animals, and neglect? That’s the real work.
According to Bichi, tree planting remains one of the most effective ways to curb soil erosion, reduce desertification, and soften the harsh impacts of climate change. Especially in river basin communities, where land and water systems are closely tied together, and where environmental damage can hit livelihoods fast. One season goes bad, and everybody feels it. It’s that simple.
He added that HJRBDA plans to intensify sensitisation programmes for farmers, focusing on why tree planting matters, how to manage land sustainably, and what practical environmental protection looks like on the ground. He didn’t pretend government alone can fix it. Collective action, he said, is what makes results last. True talk.
Earlier, APWEN Chairperson Safiyya Aliyu Mahmud framed the donation as part of the association’s corporate social responsibility, aimed directly at climate change challenges. She said APWEN provided 100 seedlings of different varieties, intended for planting across the areas covered by the river basin authority. The goal is straightforward: restore degraded land and reduce soil erosion and related environmental problems.
And there’s something quietly powerful about the picture here—engineers, not just talking about infrastructure in abstract terms, but stepping into community-level environmental work. Mahmud emphasized that professional bodies have a responsibility to support government efforts toward environmental sustainability. In her words, women engineers are committed to using their expertise and platforms to contribute to national development. Not only with designs and calculations, but with choices that help people live better.
She also said she believes the partnership with HJRBDA will deliver real impact, largely because the authority already has reach among farmers and rural communities. That reach is everything. If you want trees to take root, you go through the people who actually work the land.
Mahmud didn’t stop at handing over seedlings and smiling for cameras. She called on farmers and community members to take ownership of the project—plant the seedlings properly, protect them, and treat them like what they are: a future asset. Because tree planting isn’t a quick win. It’s a long game. And as she put it, it’s an investment for generations still coming.
