Borno State Government has announced plan to plant one million trees this year to address the problem of deforestation.
The State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Kadafur made this known on Saturday in Maiduguri while inaugurating the 2021 tree planting season to mark the World Environment Day.
Kadafur said already, 500,000 seedlings had been produced while the remaining were being raised in nurseries across the state.
Kadafur reiterated the commitment of the state government to preserve the environment in line with its 10-point agenda.
He said the State Ministry of Environment and Borno State Environmental Protection Agency were being empowered to deliver their mandates on clean environment.
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He said the monthly environmental sanitation had been restored and many youths were recruited as sanitation vanguards to ensure clean environment.
He also said that a committee had been constituted to address the problems of deforestation, desertification, erosion and flooding.
Also, Mr Kaka Shehu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice who oversees the ministry of environment said government had reintroduced forest guards to work with Agro Rangers and civilian Joint task force to contain the menace of bush burning and felling of trees.
“We will continue to do every to encourage aforestation and discourage deforestation,” Shehu said.
He lauded the feat recorded during the monthly sanitation in Maiduguri and urged residents to sustain the tempo.
Highlight of the occasion was the planting of 2000 tree seedlings in the newly established Borno State University.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this year World Environment Day theme is “Ecosystem Restoration”. (NAN)