The National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) has expressed concern about desertification affecting eleven Northern states in the country. Malam Sale Abubakar, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, made this statement at the agency’s 10th anniversary celebration in Dutse, the state capital. He noted that regions such as Borno, Yobe, parts of Jigawa, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina are facing significant environmental challenges, which have worsened the security situation there. To combat these issues, the agency has initiated efforts to distribute and plant approximately 50 million date palms and other tree species in the impacted states. Abubakar emphasized that these plantations aim to fight desertification and alleviate the forthcoming effects of climate change that the country has been confronting in recent years, particularly in the far northern regions. He stated that the initiative to plant date palms is part of their strategic plan to integrate economic growth with combatting environmental issues. He emphasized that 50 million date-palm seedlings would be given to women and youth to promote empowerment, with plans to distribute them across 11 states over five years, starting with 5 million seedlings in 2025. “Jigawa State, the top date palm producer, is expected to receive 500,000 seedlings during this timeframe, in partnership with the government and the public,” he noted. “We selected date palms for this initiative because they are economically beneficial, and their seeds can be used to create a variety of products in addition to being eaten as food,” he added. During the celebration of their 10th anniversary, the agency will also introduce a broader public campaign that encourages environmentally sustainable practices, such as using energy for machinery and cooking in mining, construction, agriculture, and other sectors, according to the Director-General of NAGGW.
