Abuja: The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) has flagged off a nationwide one-hour tree-planting exercise, targeting 1,000 trees across multiple locations in Nigeria. The initiative, implemented under COWA’s Green Borders sustainability drive, was designed to promote grassroots environmental stewardship while contributing to broader climate action through community-led participation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, a statement on the exercise was made available to newsmen by the Spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Maiwada. Maiwada said the campaign was conceived as a coordinated national exercise. He explained that through simultaneous planting activities in several states, the initiative aimed not only to achieve the one-hour target but sought to inspire collective action against environmental threats. He listed the threats to include deforestation, climate change, and land degradation.
Maiwada highlighted that the ‘1,000 Trees in One Hour’ campaign reflects COWA’s growing emphasis on advocacy-driven sustainability programmes that combine awareness, participation, and measurable impact. The initiative is expected to deepen public understanding of the ecological and social benefits of tree planting while encouraging communities to embrace environmental responsibility as a shared civic duty. He added that the campaign also aimed to stimulate wider conversations around environmental protection and long-term ecosystem restoration.
On her part, the National President of COWA, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, described the campaign as a call to collective action and a practical demonstration of shared responsibility in addressing environmental challenges. Adeniyi emphasized that environmental stewardship must be recognized as a shared duty to secure a healthier and more sustainable future for communities. She noted that the initiative is not just about planting trees but about planting hope, restoring the environment, and inspiring a culture of responsibility that can endure for generations.
Adeniyi further explained that the campaign aligned with COWA’s broader sustainability vision of linking environmental action with community development and citizen engagement. She stated that the ‘1,000 Trees in One Hour’ campaign demonstrates what can be achieved when people come together with purpose. The trees would contribute to environmental restoration, while the awareness created by the campaign would help nurture environmentally conscious citizens, especially among younger generations.
She explained that the initiative was expected to evolve beyond a one-day event into a sustained movement for ecological advocacy and community participation. Adeniyi highlighted that the nationwide exercise features simultaneous planting activities across participating locations, with volunteers working within the one-hour timeframe to achieve the target of 1,000 trees. The initiative also targets reinforcing collaboration among communities, environmental groups, and institutional partners while expanding support for future sustainability interventions under the COWA Green Borders framework.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the campaign brought together stakeholders, volunteers, community members, and environmental advocates at designated planting points across the country.