The environmental and climate action efforts of Hon. Chief Benjamin Bako have earned him a Humanitarian Award of Excellence as Ecosystem Restoration Activist 2024 for his contributions to environmental remediation and urban greening in Taraba State.
The award was conferred on Chief Bako by the Taraba State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Munga Breed Climate Action Foundation.
The award plaque, presented to Chief Bako, recognised his contribution to environmental remediation and human development in Taraba State, particularly his personal efforts toward restoring vegetation and improving the environment of Jalingo, the state capital.
According to an article by Kolawole Omotosho, Editor of Forest Friends Newspaper, Chief Bako, a Lagos-based indigene of Takum, relocated temporarily to Jalingo about three years ago, following the commencement of Governor Agbu Kefas’ administration, to support the state’s development agenda.
The report stated that, concerned about the increasing heat and declining vegetation in parts of Jalingo, Chief Bako embarked on a personal environmental restoration initiative without seeking government patronage or financial assistance.
At his own expense, he reportedly mobilised earth-moving equipment from Lagos, engaged workers and commenced the restoration of vegetation along the road median stretching from Roadblock to the Government House Roundabout.
The initiative, according to the report, was neither a government contract nor a political project, but a personal commitment to environmental sustainability and the development of Taraba State.
To ensure the sustainability of the project, Chief Bako subsequently handed the initiative over to the Taraba State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, under the leadership of Hon. Aisha Barde, for continued maintenance and nurturing.
The intervention was also said to have complemented the momentum behind the state government’s wider afforestation drive, which seeks to plant two million trees across Taraba State.
The initiative further complements the environmental sanitation and beautification efforts of the Chairman of Operation KEEP Taraba Clean, Hon. Iliya Kefas, aimed at promoting a cleaner, greener and more environmentally sustainable Taraba.
Reacting to the recognition, Chief Bako described the award as a call to intensify his contributions to environmental protection and climate action in Taraba State and Nigeria.
Beyond his environmental interventions, Chief Bako has also been recognised for developmental initiatives undertaken during his tenure as Executive Chairman of Takum Local Government Council.
His administration has undertaken infrastructural projects, including the construction of a modern market and a modern abattoir, alongside other development initiatives.
The projects have reportedly attracted the support of Takum-born philanthropist and retired Lieutenant General T.Y. Danjuma, while Chief Bako has also received recognitions from organisations, including the Rotary Club.
The latest honour highlights the potential impact of individual initiatives in environmental restoration and sustainable development, with Chief Bako’s greening intervention in Jalingo presented as an example of private commitment to improving the environment and quality of life in Taraba State.
