The National Agency for the Great Green Wall has named three Nigerian youths Fatima Aliyu Magaji, Musa Ibrahim and Pius Ekomki as its youth champions.
This was contained in a statement by the agency which was made available to NatureNews.Africa.
The three champions were selected through a transparent and open process and proceeded to represent Nigeria at the 1st edition of the Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall ‘Green Youth Caravan’ which took place in Senegal, Mauritania, and Mali from 15th to 30th December 2022.
“Their recognition is testament to their commitments to championing environmental sustainability, climate awareness and climate action especially as it relates to the Great Green Wall Initiative in Nigeria.
” The experience and lessons gained by the youth champions from the green youth caravan showed the need to mobilise the young and women population to take part in addressing issues of land degradation and desertification in Nigeria; these experiences and lessons resulted in the conceptualization and launching of the NAGGW Youth Volunteers Programme (NYVP) by the Director General of the NAGGW Dr. Yusuf Maina-Bukar,” the statement said.
In an earlier message, the director general invited youths within the ages of 18 to 35 from the 11 frontline states of its operational fields to volunteer and participate in the programme.
He stated that the NYVP intends to unlock, harness, and coordinate the vast potentials of the youth energy in the region into opportunities for achieving holistic nature-based solutions development and realising the Great Green Wall vision in Nigeria that has the potential to transform Nigeria’s drylands into a thriving economic hub.
The agency said those interested in the programme should visit www.nyvp.ggwnigeria.gov.ng to register with a valid NIN number.
