Nigeria: The Canopy That Became a Threat – Calabar’s Ornamental Trees Turn From Beauty to Danger

Arriving Calabar, the Cross River State capital, once meant entering a green cathedral. Now, it means dodging a death sentence.

The ornamental trees lining Calabar’s roads were its proudest signature, a living archway of imported giants first introduced by Mr. Clement Ebri in the 1990s and expanded by Mr. Donald Duke in 1999. They cooled the tropics, charmed first-time visitors, and earned Calabar its reputation as Nigeria’s cleanest and most beautiful city. From an aerial view, the city…