Yobe State University (YSU) has announced a landmark institutional policy making tree planting and environmental stewardship a mandatory requirement for student graduation.
The policy framework was unveiled on Thursday, by Muhammad Bashir Tahir, vice-chancellor, during the official flag-off of the university’s annual greening initiative organised by the department of forestry and wildlife management.
Under the new guidelines, every admitted student will be required to successfully plant and nurture at least one tree throughout their academic program.
Proof of stewardship and survival of the planted flora will be required prior to final clearance for certificate collection.
“Every student will be expected to plant and nurture at least one tree from the time of admission until graduation,” Tahir stated during Thursday’s launch.
“They may be required to show evidence of the tree they planted and sustained before they are cleared to receive their certificates.”
Environmental analysts and academic bodies have praised the policy as a pragmatic blueprint for tertiary institutions located within frontline northern states, where rapid land degradation, severe soil erosion, and hyper-arid conditions pose existential threats to rural livelihoods and long-term regional food security.
In addition to individual student mandates, the vice-chancellor directed the department of forestry and wildlife management to collaborate with the directorate of works and physical planning to launch annual campus-wide greening competitions, complete with institutional awards for the best performing faculties and departments.
