Team Network, a community development group, has distributed concrete culvert rings and economic tree seedlings to communities, schools, churches and students in Ganawuri, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, as part of efforts to improve road access, tackle erosion, protect the environment and promote economic empowerment.
The distribution took place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Main Bridge in Ganawuri, to mark more than 40 years of self-development by the group’s national leader, Comrade Song Muru, PhD, alongside special prayers for the next generation.
The initiative is designed to revive the community’s spirit of collective responsibility while addressing challenges associated with inaccessible roads, riverbank erosion, flooding and school dropout.
The items distributed included concrete culvert rings and seedlings of economic trees such as mango, avocado, guava, orange, olive, mahogany and palm trees.
Speaking at the event, Muru said Team Network, a group of like-minded friends established around 2017, developed a three-pronged programme focused on community integration, environmental protection and economic empowerment.
He explained that the concrete rings were intended to improve access across streams and drainage channels, particularly during the rainy season, when rising water levels often prevent residents, including schoolchildren, from crossing safely.
According to him, the group had planned to provide about 200 concrete rings for distribution through district and village heads to communities where they were most needed.
He noted that poor access routes also affected farmers transporting their produce, particularly during harvest periods.
Muru identified riverbank erosion as another major threat to Ganawuri, explaining that the planting of deep-rooted trees, especially palms, would help protect vulnerable riverbanks while providing long-term economic benefits.
He said the programme also targeted students who might otherwise discontinue their education because of financial difficulties.
“We found out that some students drop out of school simply because they cannot afford certain school expenses. We decided to provide economic trees that they can nurture and eventually harvest to help pay their school fees,” he said.
Muru expressed hope that the trees would provide future sources of income for students while encouraging them to take responsibility for the environment and contribute to community development.
He added that the distribution would cover six districts and eight village areas across Ganawuri, with village-level structures helping to ensure that the materials reached the intended beneficiaries.
On monitoring and sustainability, the Team Network leader disclosed that seven committees had been established to supervise the process, from procurement and distribution to planting, watering and maintenance.
He said the committees would work with village heads and churches to ensure that the seedlings survived and matured.
The chairman of Team Network, Chai Musa Chaimang, commended Muru for his contribution to the development of his community, describing the initiative as a demonstration of commitment to the welfare of the people.
Chaimang said the group was formed to promote the financial, economic and business growth of Ganawuri, adding that the project reflected its determination to support the community’s long-term development.
He also expressed optimism that the initiative would inspire further efforts to improve the living conditions of residents.
In his remarks, Rev. Danchilik Gwong Lang, an executive council member of the Church of Christ in Nations in Ganawuri, praised Muru and other members of the group for supporting the community.
He said planting economic trees could help residents improve their livelihoods and reduce poverty, while also contributing to environmental conservation.
Lang described the intervention as a practical contribution to the development of Ganawuri and the wider Plateau State.
Similarly, Deme Gyupa Dang, a translation consultant working with Bible translation projects in Nigeria, described the initiative as timely, particularly amid concerns about climate change and environmental degradation.
Dang said the planting of trees could help preserve the natural environment, while the provision of concrete culvert rings would improve movement along roads and pathways affected by water during the rainy season.
He commended Muru and his team for identifying practical needs in the community and taking steps to address them.
A student, Nyam Praise Markus, expressed appreciation to the organisers for including students in the programme, pledging to plant and care for the seedlings so that younger generations could benefit from them.
Markus said the trees represented an opportunity to support students in the future and encouraged beneficiaries to take proper care of the plants.
A teacher, Sunday Ngyang Tson, also emphasised the importance of supervising the students to ensure that the trees were planted in appropriate locations and protected from damage by animals and other hazards.
He expressed hope that, as the trees matured, the proceeds from their produce would help students meet some of their educational expenses.
The initiative underscores the potential of community-led interventions to address infrastructure challenges, environmental degradation and economic hardship through collective action.
By combining improved access across streams and drainage channels with tree planting and student-focused economic support, Team Network hopes to strengthen community cooperation and create lasting benefits for present and future generations in Ganawuri.
