Ouagadougou: More than 510 seedlings were planted on Friday, August 7, 2026, in the Goran provincial grove in the commune of Gugur, on the occasion of the Ioba Provincial Tree Day, which was themed: 'One institution, one grove'.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Secretary General of the Ioba Province, Andr Lankoand, presided over the 2026 edition of Tree Day. This was in the presence of the President of the Special Delegation (PDS) of the commune of Gugur, Jacob Bazemo, the provincial director of the environment, Lieutenant-Colonel Ollo Julien Kambou, administrative, customary and religious authorities, technical services, partners, and the population.
Chief Tonan II of the Gugur canton commended the authorities and partners for their efforts in organizing this event in the commune. He particularly urged the population to ensure the survival of the seedlings. "Planting a tree is not enough. We must protect and care for it," he stated.
The Gugur PDS (Democratic Party of Gugur) welcomed the selection of its municipality to host this event. It congratulated the community leaders and partners who contributed to its organization, before urging the population to become more involved in environmental protection efforts.
The initiative's partner, Burkina Mine, represented by Dr. Saga Sawadogo, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the site's protection. It expressed a desire to be kept informed of the various reforestation activities undertaken in the province, in order to contribute to the security of the restored areas.
For the provincial director of the environment, Lieutenant-Colonel Ollo Julien Kambou, this day constitutes "an act of responsibility and a demonstration of patriotism." He emphasized the need to ensure the maintenance and protection of the planted seedlings.
The Secretary General of Ioba Province explained that the initiative is part of the national effort to restore vegetation cover, spearheaded by the highest authorities in the country. He urged residents to protect the seedlings from animals and bushfires. "The success of this campaign will not be measured by the number of seedlings planted today, but by the number that will survive," he stated.
Through this initiative, the provincial authorities intend to strengthen community mobilization around reforestation and contribute to national efforts to restore ecosystems and combat the effects of climate change.