FG, UN To Secure 1m Residents From Desert Encroachment

The federal government, through the Great Green Wall Project and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), have concluded arrangements to protect over one million people from the menace of desert encroachment worldwide.

Director general, NAGGWP, Saleh Abubakar, who was represented by the director of Afforestation and Land Management Agency,  Alhaji Ahmed Majidadi Bagudo disclosed this to Governor Nasir Idris when he led NAGGW-UNEP team to a courtesy call in Birnin Kebbi.

The DG said the United Nations chose Nigeria to start the programme, with Kebbi State as the first focal point targeting five local government areas of Argungu, Arewa, Augie, Dandi and Bunza.

“Your Excellency, we’re here to inform you that NAGGW-UNEP intends to implement the Integrated Dryland Ecosystem Rehabilitation, Regulation, and Conservation (IDERRCN) in Kebbi State,” Bagudo said.

According to him, approximately 1,000,000 people would benefit from the programme, aimed at combating desert encroachment worldwide.

Reacting to their visit, Governor Nasir Idris, represented by his deputy, Senator Abubakar Umar Tafida, welcomed them and their projects to Kebbi State.

Governor Idris lauded the IDERRCN project, which he described as a move to restore degraded lands, promote ecological resilience, enhance community engagement, and foster sustainable land management practices.

Governor Idris also noted that the visit of the team to Kebbi State is expected to pave the way for further strategic collaboration and productive partnership between the Kebbi government and NAGGW- UNEP.

The governor assured that his administration would honour the agency’s request to allocate suitable land parcels for ecosystem restoration, demonstration plots, and relevant MDAs.