Yobe State Governor, Hon Mai Mala Buni has flagged off the 2025 tree planting campaign in Damaturu, the state capital.
Governor Buni also warned against indiscriminate cutting of trees, stressing that the state government will not tolerate practices that worsen desert encroachment and environmental degradation.
Speaking at the ceremony themed: “Buni’s Initiative in Desert Reclamation and Restoration of Degraded Lands,” the Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fighting desertification, restoring degraded lands, and mitigating the effects of climate change.
He noted that since 2020, the Yobe State Government has raised and planted millions of assorted tree seedlings across the state to halt the southward encroachment of the Sahara Desert.
Buni also highlighted major interventions, including the establishment of 100-hectare gum Arabic plantations in each senatorial district, the setting up of six weather monitoring stations, distribution of fuel-efficient stoves and gas cookers, and multiple afforestation projects in partnership with the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the Great Green Wall initiative.
He ordered the State Standing Committee on Climate Change to institute annual awards and prizes for communities, schools, and individuals who plant and nurture trees across the state.
The Governor further directed traditional rulers and security agencies to take full control of indiscriminate cutting of trees in their respective domains, warning that defaulters would be dealt with in line with the law.
“The indiscriminate cutting of trees without replacement is endangering our environment, exposing our people to desert encroachment, flooding, and loss of soil fertility. We must plant more trees and protect what we already have,” the Governor warned.
The governor also urged traditional rulers, community leaders, schools, and households to take advantage of the rainy season to expand tree planting,
He stressed that environmental protection was a collective responsibility in line with global efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
