By Fatima Saka
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has pledged 19 billion US dollars for the support of the Great Green Wall projects to Pan African countries.
UNCCD stated that the pledge is the outcome of the “One Planet Summit” in combating climate change and Biodiversity.
Dr. Birguy Lamizana, Senior program Manager of (UNCCD) made this assertion at the 8th Ordinary session of council of ministers of Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall meeting in Abuja which lasted for three days, starting from 14 to 16 June 2022.
Dr. Lamizana said since the invention of the Great Green Wall, UNCCD has been working toward the initiative in terms of policies, also using the convening power as catalyst and collective action by participants for the convention.
He said, “This pledge happened in January 2021. It was also agreed with five pillars of GGW to support the implementation and UNCCD was mandated to set up an accelerator in Pan Africa GGW countries in accessing the pledged.
Dr. Lamizana, further added that there are other challenges of GGW and one of them is that the fund is not only for the Pan-African Agency and countries that are benefactors but including different stakeholders, private sector, the civil societies.
“8th Ordinary session of council of ministers of Pan-African Agency of the GGW is to set up the national coalitions on how to involve local communities, mapping of the stakeholder across the sectors of ministers,” she added.
Also, Amb Amadou Diallo representative of African Union Development Agency expressed that AUDA focus, is on agriculture, funding and to installing energy and management of water, to pull out water from the desert so that farmers can be able to cultivate, also generate income through the production activities.
In addition, Permanent Secretary, Federal ministry of Environment, Engr. Hassan Musa who was represented by Saghir el Mohammed Director of Press, ministry of environment stated that the technical experts are employed to oversee the success goals and objectives of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) as critical machineries in accomplishing financial bankroll on billion of US dollars pledged by coalition of Technical and Financial Partners (TFPs).
