By Bisola Adeyemo
Coordinator, Field Officer, National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Mrs. Habiba Ibrahim has urged the communities leaders in Kano state to educate and encourage their people on the importance of reversing degradation by planting more trees.
Ibrahim made the call on Wednesday during the assessment of field investment by the agency, in the state.
Ibrahim said that Nigeria is one of the countries of great green wall initiative, faced with challenges of land degradation, drought, and climate change among others in 11 frontline states.
The coordinator also said that the agency was established to prevent such challenges effectively.
She further explains that effective cooperation by the communities would continue to yield better results and safeguard the projects in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted her as saying “My advice to all the communities in the state is to continue engaging more in the good working relationship with the officials of the agency.
“I am also advising them to engage more in town hall meetings, that will also enhance their work. I am soliciting for their cooperation for strong backing.
“We need all hands to be on deck. I want to let them know that this community belongs to them, it is where they live, the NAGGW is only coming to help, to make life better for them,” she said.
NAGGW officials two Local Government Areas in Kano state has namely, Makoda and Danbatta, have earlier visited some of the Local Government Areas in Katsina State on the field assessment, adding that Kano communities are doing better work compared to Katsina people.
“I rated Kano higher than Katsina but all the same, they are all doing wonderfully great, I pray in the next few months when we will visit the states again, there will be a lot of positive change.
“However, I feel so delighted seeing these trees growing well. Some of the trees were planted in 2015, others in 2020 and so on and you can see that there is a lot of progress.
“I want to thank both the Kano officials and the communities, because they are really committed to their job to ensure that the environment is protected,” she said.
Speaking also, Mr Isah Sadiq, Deputy Director, Department of Afforestation and Land Management of the agency, said that the trees planted were of different species, some are orchard and woodlots while others are shelterbelts.
According to him, “we planted the trees so that the communities can be cutting them for cooking when it’s matured.
“The community is committed, you see that the plantation is well established, in the next two years the trees will be matured and can be useful for the people to use.
“It is because we started the plantation early, we planted the trees during the rainy season and that is why the trees can survive,” he said.
He, however, advised the community to continue with the good work they are doing, adding that their efforts would enhance environmental protection in the state.
