Haruna Manu Isah
The ongoing construction of a massive railway station by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) at Zawachiki in Kano State is a landmark project poised to transform transportation and connectivity in Northern Nigeria.
As a symbol of progress and development, the project is rightly hailed for its potential to spur economic growth, create jobs, and improve mobility.
However, beneath this narrative of advancement lies a sobering reality: the quiet but devastating destruction of trees that have stood the test for over a century.
Among the most affected are ancient baobab trees, ecological treasures that embody the heritage, resilience, and environmental memory of our landscape.
These trees are not merely “property” that can be cleared for construction and forgotten; they are living witnesses to our past, guardians of biodiversity, and natural regulators of our climate.
While it is commendable that the project proponents may have compensated landowners and farmers for the land acquired, the ecological value of the trees, particularly those over a hundred years old, far exceeds their monetary worth.
Compensation for land use does not equate to accounting for environmental losses, especially when those losses involve erasing irreplaceable natural assets.
The baobab, in particular, is not just a tree. It is a sacred species in African ecological consciousness, a water reservoir in dry climates, a habitat for birds and insects, a source of medicine, and a cultural icon. Their destruction should not be treated as collateral damage in the name of development.
The environmental services they provide, such as carbon sequestration, microclimate regulation, and soil enrichment, are invaluable and irreplaceable in the short term.
We call on the Kano State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to urgently intervene and exercise its oversight responsibilities in this matter. Specifically, the following actions are recommended:
- Environmental Audit and Tree Inventory: A comprehensive audit should be conducted to document the number, species, and ecological age of all trees felled during the project. This record should serve as the baseline for future restoration efforts.
- Tree Valuation and Replanting Plan: There must be an enforceable requirement for CCECC or relevant authorities to support a tree replacement plan — not merely planting saplings, but committing to a longterm reforestation and ecological restoration strategy that includes indigenous species such as the baobab.
- Adoption of a “Tree Preservation Policy” for all large-scale infrastructure projects in the state, especially those that threaten mature and ecologically significant trees. Such a policy should involve community consultations, biodiversity impact assessments, and legally binding restoration obligations.
- Climate Mitigation Accountability: The loss of mature trees increases local vulnerability to climate change impacts. The Ministry must recognize these tree losses as a negative carbon footprint and hold developers accountable for offsetting it through tree planting and other mitigation initiatives.
In our pursuit of development, we must not sacrifice the environment on which our very existence depends.
The trees being destroyed today are not just silent casualties; they are victims of negligence, and their loss will echo into future generations through hotter climates, poorer air quality, and diminished biodiversity.
The people of Kano and indeed all Nigerians deserve development that is sustainable, equitable, and respectful of our natural heritage. Let us not measure progress solely by concrete and steel, but by how well we preserve the ecological treasures that sustain life.
