By Salifu Faridat
The Executive Governor of Jigawa State Malam Umar Namadi has joined the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project (ACRESAL) on Wednesday 29th August 2023 at Government Unity Secondary School, Ringim Local Government in tree planting and campaign activities with one additional hectare to the 265 hectares covered through sand dune stabilization, shelter belt, institutional and road planting in line with acresal development objectives.
Governor Umar Namadi after planting a tree said, “Tree planting is a culture built in the people of Jigawa State for decades. Our people have inherited a tree-planting attitude to curb the risk of desert encroachment and stabilize sand dunes, in a bid to mitigate the effect of soil Erosion to strengthen the soil systems.”
The Governor added that continuing institutional planting has come to stay in jigawa state, across the state.
Each student is expected to plant a tree, nurture it, and ensure it grows. This will help us restore our degraded lands for a greener and safer environment he said.
According to him, the government is committed to reviving climate policies to enhance Resilience to climate-related challenges and promote sustainable development, especially in agriculture.
The Honorable Commissioner of Environment Dr. Nura Muhammad Ibrahim in the course of his speech said, that the Acresal project has recently awarded a contract for 5 numbers solar-powered boreholes all in an attempt to ensure adequate maintenance of these trees, especially during the dry season.
This planting activity is in its first phase, thus it’s a gradual process. By the end of this year, we will make sure that the activities are carried out across the state.
Nura mentioned that the state government is committed to the success of the Acresal project.
The project coordinator, Mallam Yahaya, thanked the Executive Governor Malam Umar Namadi, Honorable of Commissioners of Environment, Finance, Local government chairmen, and key stakeholders who graced the occasion, and ensured continuous implementation of Acresal project activities across the state.
Yahaya said, all necessary support have been provided by the World Bank, the state and federal governments to implement Acresal project activities, therefore, awareness programs will continue in order to support the course of climate change control for sustainable agricultural practices, and promoting afforestation and reforestation.