ADDIS ABABA – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) yesterday called on Ethiopians to take pride in their nation’s reforestation efforts by planting trees.
Ethiopia’s 2025 Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) was launched under the theme : ” Renewal Through Planting ” as a symbol of environmental stewardship and unity.
Speaking at the official launch of the 2025 GLI, the Premier emphasized that tree planting must be prioritized in areas where the need is greatest and should reflect a collective national spirit.
“This Green Belt program must be implemented where it is most needed,” the Premier said. “I call on all Ethiopians to plant trees and wear the Ethiopian flag because this is not only a green movement but a patriotic mission.”
This year’s Green Legacy campaign sets an ambitious goal of planting 7.5 billion seedlings, reinforcing Ethiopia’s place as a continental leader in climate resilience and ecological restoration.
Joining the launch was Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, who hailed the Green Legacy Initiative as a visionary and practical solution to climate challenges. He described the program as a model of sustainable development that other nations should emulate.
“The promise of the Ethiopian Green Legacy Initiative is the dream of every nation,” Vice President Kashim said. “It is a lesson in vision, in purpose, and in audacity.”
He noted the magnitude of Ethiopia’s reforestation efforts planting 25 billion seedlings in four years, establishing over 20,000 nurseries, and generating hundreds of thousands of green jobs as not just numbers, but a transformative legacy that speaks to the future Africa must shape.
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“Ethiopia deserves every bit of applause it has received and even more,” the Vice President added. “We in Nigeria stand in solidarity with you, and I bring greetings from President Bola Tinubu and the people of Nigeria.”
The Vice President also praised Prime Minister Abiy’s leadership, calling him “an audacious reformer” who is reshaping systems with courage and conviction.
“Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed did not merely inherit power. He redrew the blueprint with the ink of bold vision,” Kashim remarked. “He is one of the greatest leaders Africa has today, and a true source of continental inspiration.”
Concluding his remarks, the Nigerian Vice President asserted that Africa is not just a land of disaster narratives, but a continent of possibility and promise epitomized by Ethiopia’s green transformation.