Climate Change: Yobe Plants 1,000 Trees To Fight Desertification

The North East Arid Zone Development Programme (NEAZDP) has flagged off its 2026 afforestation campaign with the planting of 1,000 drought-resistant tree seedlings in Nguru local government area of Yobe State as part of efforts to combat desertification and climate change.

The programme also commenced the rehabilitation of existing plantations through the replacement of failed seedlings, a process known as “beating-up” to improve the survival rate of previously established trees.

The programme manager of NEAZDP, Dr Mulima Idi Mato, said the initiative was part of the agency’s sustained commitment to restoring degraded ecosystems and strengthening environmental resilience across the arid and semi-arid areas of the North-East.

The exercise conducted on Tuesday covered three locations in Nguru local government area, MMB Quarters, Lawan Goma Mega School and SMART School.

According to him, the sites were selected to promote environmental sustainability, provide shade, serve as windbreaks and encourage tree planting among residents and schoolchildren.

He said the programme also prioritised community participation by involving beneficiaries in the planting exercise and sensitising them on the importance of protecting and nurturing the seedlings to ensure their survival.

Mulima Mato said the inclusion of schools in the exercise was intended to instil environmental consciousness among young people and encourage a culture of tree planting.

He reaffirmed NEAZDP’s commitment to expanding afforestation activities across the region to address the growing threats of desertification and climate change.

“Our objective is to restore degraded ecosystems, strengthen communities’ resilience to climate variability and improve livelihoods through sustainable environmental management,” he said.

The annual campaign comes amid growing concerns over the impact of climate change in northern Nigeria, where rising temperatures, delayed rainfall, desert encroachment and indiscriminate tree felling have continued to threaten agriculture and the livelihoods of millions of people.