A total of 13,875,286 seedlings were distributed for planting during the 2024 Green Ghana Day, representing about 39 per cent above the 10 million seedlings target.

In July this year, Inter-Sectoral teams will be constituted to undertake field verification and validation of the actual number of seedlings planted nationwide.

On Friday, June 7, Green Ghana Day was observed across the country under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission on the theme, "Growing for a Greener Tomorrow" to plant trees on degraded forest reserves and off reserves.

It formed part of the Government's aggressive afforestation and re-afforestation programme to restore the lost forest cover and contribute to the global effort to combat climate change.

John Allotey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, who announced the outcome of the seedlings distributed on the Green Ghana Day, said 13 regions exceeded their targets with the Ashanti Region distributing 4,170,552 seedlings, representing 199 per cent, which is far above the initial target of 2,100,000.

During a news conference in Accra on Thursday, Mr Allotey provided a comprehensive overview of the provisional seedling distribution results and underscored the need for all individuals and institutions who planted seedlings to nurture them to maturity.

He acknowledged that two regions- Greater Accra and North East regions - faced challenges in meeting their targets and assured the Commission's commitment to supporting those regions to achieve their goals in future exercises.

Mr Allotey commended leading private plantation companies and some churches for their immense contributions to the Green Ghana Project and specifically mentioned the Church of Pentecost, the Presbyterian Church, the Catholic Church, the Seventh Day Adventist and the Methodist Church as the top five contributing churches in Ghana.

Mr Allotey also mentioned Ecoplanet Bamboo West Africa, Messrs Evans Sawmills Ltd, and Miro Forestry Ghana Ltd as among the private plantation companies that played pivotal roles in ensuring the success of the exercise.

He also singled out the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu and the Muslim Community for their support.

The Forestry Commission CEO  further revealed that despite the number of seedlings already planted, more seedlings were available at various designated pick-up centres and urged interested parties to visit their nearest Forestry Commission office to obtain a seedling to plant.