Community Green Ambassadors

The creation of this group was an initiative of the "Great League of Pioneers for Community Sustainable Development (GLOP-CSD)", a Community-based Non-Government Environmental Organization in Otun Ekiti, Moba LGA of Ekiti State, Nigeria.

The group was created to promote positive actions for Sustainable Development at community level through the engagement of young people in forest and biodiversity conservation activities. Our members would be known as "Community Green Ambassadors (CGA)". And our slogan would be:

"Community Ambassadors!"

"For Green!"

Essentially, members would be young people living in a particular community where we have forest conservation projects. Adults who have passion for young people's participation in forest conservation could also be added as members. The MD/CEO of ENARMAC Nigeria Limited as the GLOP-CSD’s Director of Projects, is directly in charge of the Community Green Ambassadors and he is the one supervising the Community Woodlot project in Shishipe Village, near Mpape, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria.

GLOP-CSD has being promoting community participation in forest and biodiversity conservation for about 28 years, having championed the establishment of the first ever Community Herbal Heritage Centre at Otun Ekiti, in Moba LGA of Ekiti State, since after the adoption of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity ar the UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992. The 10ha land project is now covered with luxurious plants of many species of conservation interest.

After many years of local experience on community engagement in forest conservation, GLOP-CSD is now reaching out to other communities outside its original geographical base, hence the initiation of the project idea of Community Woodlot in Shishipe Village, a remote settlement near Mpape in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. The Shishipe Community Woodlot project is being implemented in collaboration with the Agric & Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Garki Abuja.

Members of the Community Green Ambassadors would from time to time be mentored on sustainable way of livelihood as a means of promoting community development. It is our hope that the Shishipe Village project would be a unique example in facilitating community participation in afforestation and forest conservation in Nigeria.

Young Teak Plantation: A Growing Forest in Progress

Field measurements in progress

Movement of Tectona grandis (Teak) seedlings by the Community Green Ambassadors in Shishipe Village

Movement of Tectona grandis (Teak) seedlings by the Community Green Ambassadors in Shishipe Village from the Community Plant Nursery to the Community Woodlot project site in Shishipe Village, Bwari Area Council of Abuja, FCT, on Wednesday 22nd June 2021 in preparation for the beating up exercise coming up this Saturday 26th June 2021. It would be recalled that these luxuriant seedlings were raised from stumps of Teak imported from Kaduna by GLOP-CSD early this year and nurtured by the Community Green Ambassadors in Shishipe Village. For us, this a success story already. On this Saturday, the entire residents of Shishipe Village would be mobilized to the Community Woodlot Project site for the planting exercise.

Preparation for planting

Members of the Community Green Ambassador dig the planting holes (Thursday 24th June 2021) in preparation for the tree planting exercise on the Community Woodlot project on Saturday (26th June 2021). On the planting day, the entire residents in the Community were mobilized to the planting site for active participation.

Monitoring visit to the Community Woodlot project in Shishipe Village

Monitoring visit to the Community Woodlot project in Shishipe Village on Wednesday 12th May 2021 revealed that many of the seedlings assumed dead during the dry season are now back to life. This is quite encouraging as it would reduce the work on beating up.

Monitoring visit to the Community Woodlot project in Shishipe Village

Monitoring visit to the Community Woodlot project in Shishipe Village

A visit to the Shishipe Village Plant Nursery on Wednesday 12th May 2021 showed progressive development of the potted seedlings which are ready for transplanting to the Community Woodlot project site as soon as the rain stabilizes. All credit goes to the dedicated members of the Community Green Ambassadors in Shishipe Village.

Monitoring visit to the Community Plant Nursery project in Shishipe Village

The GLOP-CSD

The GLOP-CSD's Director of Projects with members of the Community Green Ambassadors in Shishipe Village during an interactive meeting with them on Saturday 30th January 2021.

The GLOP-CSD

The GLOP-CSD's Director of Project in a group photograph with members of the Community Green Ambassadors in Shishipe Village after an interactive meeting with them today Saturday 30th January 2021.

The GLOP-CSD

Field assessment of the growing stock in the Community Woodlot at Shishipe Village (30th January 2021).

The GLOP-CSD

A promising seedling in the Community Woodlot project in Shishipe Village. Many of the planted seedlings are affected by water stress in the dry season but this particular one has managed to establish well.

The GLOP-CSD

Assessment visit to the proposed Plant Nursery site in Shishipe Village, near Mpape, Bwari Area Council, Abuja on Saturday 30th January 2021.

Tectona grandis (Teak)

The GLOP-CSD's Director of Projects, Mr. P. O. Bankole (extreme right) with Nr. Ayuba Danjuma, President of the Community Green Ambassadors (extreme left) and Mr. Zephaniah, Patron of the Community Green Ambassadors (middle), assessing the progressive development of the stumps of Tectona grandis (Teak) planted by the river bed few weeks ago on Monday 22nd March 2021.

The GLOP-CSD

Assessment visit to the proposed Plant Nursery site in Shishipe Village, near Mpape, Bwari Area Council, Abuja on Saturday 30th January 2021.