Prof. Alassan Gani, the out-going Vice Chancellor (VC), Federal University Kashere, Gombe State, has recommended the establishment of robust botanical gardens to host and document plant species in Nigeria.
Gani said this at Kashere, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe state, at the First Inaugural lecture of the university, entitled: “Our Ties with the Green World”.
“Plants with potentials for food, medicine, shelter, oil should be documented as resource base for future investigation and usage,” he said.
According to him, most of the indigenous trees are facing threat of extinction, hence the need to conserve them.
He said there was need for government at all levels to redouble effort on plant conservation programme with the view to supporting plant diversity and protecting plant from the threats of extinction.
Gani said that plants protect the environment, adding that without plants the biodiversity of the environment would reduce.
He said documenting the plant would be appealing and resourceful because it would serve as place for research, seminars, workshops and even recreational activities.
The out-going VC said that the importance of plants could not be overemphasised because they had critical role to play in climate change.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gani would be handing over to a new VC, Prof. Umaru Pate, on Jan. 10, following expiration of his tenure. (NAN)