The Director-General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Saleh Abubakar, MFR,has disclosed that the agency’s efforts in restoring degraded lands, deforestation programs, and community empowerment initiatives will serve as a model for international cooperation.
Abubakar made this statement during the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) heldin Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
According to him, NAGGW’s community-driven projects, including sustainable agriculture and agroforestry, have transformed lives in Northern Nigeria.
Emphasizing the importance of the Convention in fostering global action against desertification, Abubakar called for cross-regional collaboration to address the shared challenges of land degradation worldwide.
He said: “As an Agency, we use this auspicious event to once again reiterate our commitment and that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to addressing land degradation and desertification in Nigeria.”
He maintained that Nigeria has embarked on a journey to restore its degraded landscapes, enhance livelihoods, and build a legacy of environmental and social resilience for future generations.
Also, through the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI), the Agency has implemented collaborative resource-sharing agreements between farmers, pastoralists, and local governments. This has reduced tensions and fostered peace,” he explained.
Plans has been put in place to build a drought-resilient economy through the initiative of planting 5 million date palms in three strategic economic corridors sharing common boundaries with the Sahel, is projected to generate $2 billion annually and create over 10 million job opportunities by 2030.
“This will help restore millions of hectares of degraded land, improve food security, and create green jobs. In addition, we have adopted the Groasis Waterboxx technology, a self-irrigated water system for planting. This technology has been tested and has shown a 99% survival rate in Kano and Jigawa states of Nigeria.
Signed
Pauline Sule (Mrs), anipr
Head, Information & Public Relations Unit
NAGGW
