PM Abiy, Nigerian Vice President lead tree planting at Gulele riverside project

Addis Ababa, June 28, 2025 (FMC) — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, alongside Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima and senior federal and regional officials, participated in a tree-planting ceremony this morning at the Gulele Riverside Project in Addis Ababa.

The event follows the official launch of the 2025 Green Legacy planting season by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last night, which set the theme “Renewal Through Planting” for this year’s campaign.

The tree-planting session at Gulele Riverside underscores Ethiopia’s ongoing commitment to restoring degraded lands, promoting environmental sustainability, and fostering national unity through collective action.

Prime Minister Abiy and the delegation actively planted seedlings, demonstrating the government’s dedication to advancing the Green Legacy Initiative—a program that continues to mobilize millions of Ethiopians annually to plant billions of trees and reinforce Ethiopia’s role as a global leader in reforestation efforts.

In his speech at last night’s launch event, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted the Green Legacy Initiative as a crucial part of Ethiopia’s nation-building efforts, emphasizing its role in environmental restoration, food sovereignty, and uniting millions of citizens in a shared vision for renewal and resilience. He also pointed to the international recognition Ethiopia has received for its commitment to sustainable development and called on all Ethiopians to actively participate in the planting campaign.

For his part, Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima praised the initiative as a practical and visionary climate solution, lauding its achievements in seedling planting, nursery establishment, and green job creation. He expressed Nigeria’s solidarity with Ethiopia, commended Prime Minister Abiy’s leadership, and underscored Africa’s potential as a continent of promise and opportunity.