By Abbas Nazil
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has been described as a “hero of climate change campaign” by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, for his administration’s commitment to tackling desertification, promoting clean energy and protecting the environment.
Lawal made the remark in Maiduguri during the official launch of Borno State’s 2026 tree-planting campaign, where the state commenced the planting of four million tree seedlings aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, combating desertification, conserving biodiversity and strengthening resilience against climate change.
The minister commended the Borno State Government for enacting laws prescribing stiff penalties against deforestation, describing the legislation as a model worthy of adoption by other states despite challenges associated with enforcement.
He also praised the state government’s efforts to reduce dependence on firewood through the distribution of thousands of free cooking stoves and gas cylinders to teachers and staff of the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), noting that providing clean energy alternatives is essential to curbing indiscriminate tree felling.
Lawal stressed that the shrinking of Lake Chad has become one of the greatest environmental and humanitarian crises confronting the region, with the lake having lost more than 90 per cent of its original size over the decades due to climate change.
He explained that the decline of the lake has devastated livelihoods dependent on fishing, farming and herding across Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, while also contributing to poverty, displacement, insecurity and violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin.
The minister therefore called for stronger collaboration among the international community, state governments, non-governmental organisations and agencies such as the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project to restore the lake and address desertification.
He also disclosed that the headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall has been relocated to Kano to strengthen efforts against desert encroachment.
Governor Zulum said Borno, being located within the Sahel belt, continues to experience severe environmental challenges including desert encroachment, rising temperatures, dwindling vegetation and land degradation, all of which threaten agriculture, food security, water resources and livelihoods.
He noted that environmental degradation has also worsened poverty, displacement and conflict in the state, adding that sustainable development and lasting peace cannot be achieved without restoring damaged ecosystems.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with national and international organisations to implement tree planting, ecological restoration and climate resilience initiatives as part of the state’s rebuilding and recovery agenda.
Zulum announced that 23,700 cooking gas cylinders would be distributed free of charge to primary school teachers and environmental officers across Borno’s 27 local government areas in phases.
He explained that the first phase would provide 5,000 cooking gas cylinders and clean cooking stoves to beneficiaries in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area before extending the programme to the remaining local government areas.
According to him, all 21,000 primary school teachers in the state will eventually benefit from the clean cooking initiative, while 2,500 BOSEPA staff members have also been included in the programme to encourage environmental conservation and discourage reliance on firewood.
To further ease adoption of clean cooking energy, the governor presented a dummy cheque worth N112.5 million, which will serve as vouchers for beneficiaries to refill their gas cylinders at designated centres.
Some beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention, saying the free cooking stoves, gas cylinders and refill support would reduce household expenses and lessen the financial burden caused by the rising cost of cooking gas while promoting healthier and environmentally friendly cooking practices.
