The Director General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, NAGGW, Dr. Yusuf Maina Bukar, has highlighted the efforts the Agency is putting towards mitigating the challenges of climate change in Nigeria.
“NAGGW has embodied this spirit of partnership and collaboration amongst stakeholders to ignite common resolve to mitigate climate change challenge through the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
“In doing this, there is need to realize that it is time to make a concerted push in assisting the Agency to take stock and accelerate the process of meeting its mandate and this can be accomplished when we come together and join forces,” he said in Kano today.
Dr. Maina Bukar spoke during a “Stakeholders Forum on Building Multi-stakeholders’ Responsiveness on the Implementation of the Great Green Wall Program in Nigeria.”
He maintained that NAGGW has played a critical role in galvanizing attention to the solutions to desertification, deforestation and other associated challenges of climate change.
He said: “Giving that the challenges keep evolving, there is need for cooperation amongst stakeholders to deal with them head-on.
“The lessons learnt from the implementation of the NAGGW mandate over the year call for reinvigorated efforts in attracting more partnership and full engagement of all stakeholders which are essential to achieving success”.
Dr. Maina further explained that it is essential to harness the synergies amongst the NAGGW, States and Local Governments, Civil Societies, Community Based Organizations, Community Leaders, Youths and Women Groups, Persons with Disabilities among others to make gains in inclusive, progressive and sustainable development.
“The Stakeholder’ Forum is devoted to the priority theme of challenges and achievements in the implementation of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall Goals.
“With the aim of upscaling the linkage between Multi-level sectors and indigenous stakeholders for mainstreaming synergy that would help in combatting Desertification, Deforestation and Restoration of our Degraded Lands, the forum is also aimed at laying the ground for a successful historic outcome that would help in bringing together Experts, Government officials, NGO’s, Community Leaders, Participants from relevant sectors to foster common ground on the implementation of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI).
He said that the Forum is backed by a share quest to lift the achievements of the Agency to the next level.
In his welcome address earlier , the Director, Kano Operational Office ( KOO) of the Agency, Aminu Yahaya said the stakehokders’ forum serves as a vital platform for dialogue, engagement, and partnership-building among diverse stakeholders representing various sectors of society.
Yahaya said: “As we gather here in Kano, under the theme of collaboration and responsiveness, we embark on a journey of collective action and shared responsibility towards the realization of the ambitious goals set forth by the Agency.
The program stands as a beacon of hope and promise for our nation, epitomizes our collective determination to combat desertification, mitigate climate change, and foster sustainable livelihoods in the frontline states.
“Together, we will explore innovative approaches, identify synergies, and forge partnerships that will empower communities, protect natural resources, and build resilience in the face of environmental challenges’ he added.
Earlier in his remarks Prof. A.D Isa from Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto State who delivered a paper on the topic: Tackling Food Insecurity through Enhancement of Agro-Forestry said Agro-Forestry is the way out of climate change challenges and other environmental issues.
Mrs Sule Pauline
Head, information & Corporate Communications Unit
