By Amaechi Agbo

A Nigerian Environmental advocate, Michael Odenigbo will on Thursday, June 5, 2025 attempt to break the Guinness World Record most planted trees within 24 hours by an individual. Mr Odenigbo will be planting 27, 000 moringa trees at the Nigeria’s first state-owned university, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Enugu State, Nigeria.

He had already obtained approval from the Guinness World Record to embark on the historic exercise.

The record for most trees planted by an individual in 24 hours is 23,060, set by Antoine Moses in Canada. The record was achieved on July 17, 2021, in La Crete, Alberta.

Through this attempt, Odenigbo aims  to enhance Enugu State’s carbon sequestration through massive tree planting, raise global awareness about the importance of trees and climate change particularly among young people, and establish a platform for my goal to plant 5 million trees by the year 2030.

This attempt is supported by the Enugu State government with the aim to raise awareness about climate change and the importance of tree planting to safeguard the environment.

Michael Odenigbo Profile

Michael Odenigbo, a native of Igbo Etiti in Enugu State, is an environmental advocate. During his undergraduate days in school, he was elected the Senate President of the National Council of Enugu state students Worldwide. He used that platform not only to legislate, but also to make pro environmental policies in the student’s council. He also carried out tree planting and waste management awareness programmes which is aimed towards making environmental impacts.

During his National Youth Service, he served as the President of the Environmental Protection and Sanitation CDS Group Uyo between May 2024 to January 2025. This gave him the opportunity to lead a team of other environmentally inclined corps members into a partnership with Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency. Through this partnership, they engaged on various environmental research, awareness programmes, tree planting exercises, plastic waste evacuations, brand auditing of plastic wastes, and so on. His impact towards the environmental betterment of Uyo (the capital city of Akwa Ibom State) earned him a recognition and a letter of recommendation from the State through the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency.

As a leader, a writer, a student, and lover of nature, he looks forward to opportunities to make impact towards climate change mitigation and keeping the ecosystem safe.