Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Director General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall, (NAGGW), Dr Yusuf Maina-Bukar marked his one year in office with a commitment to improving livelihoods of communities in the affected areas.
Briefing journalists in the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja, he said NAGGW is committed to building on strong relationships in the future to meet the objectives of the Great Green Wall Initiative.
He said “At the core of the Nigerian component of the Great Green Wall Initiative, is reversing desertification, land degradation, and mitigating the effects of climate change in the 11 frontline states of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa. We have therefore focused on implementing afforestation and reforestation activities, land restoration, and sustainable land management practices and have made notable achievements that demonstrate a positive impact on the environment and the livelihoods of communities in the affected areas,” he said.
Dr, Maina-Bukar noted that the Agency has introduced various reforms and initiatives such as establishing the Security Services Unit to coordinate security support services to reduce operational risks faced by staff of the Agency in the security prone areas of the frontline states.
“We have introduced techniques, strategies and approaches to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Great Green Wall afforestation and reforestation programmes such as the Half Moon and Zai methods of planting, that enhances seedling and tree survival rate, improve soil retention capacity, improve soil fertility and increases vegetation cover.
“Accordingly Ministerial approval has been obtained by the Agency for use of the waterboxx water retention technology for irrigation that enhances seedling and tree survival rate by 90% during dry season and reduces the carbon footprints released in the environment,” Dr, Maina-Bukar said.
He further said that the Great Green Wall programme has been able to provide numerous job opportunities for young people and women in rural communities, by training them on sustainable land management techniques, supporting them to establish tree nurseries, forest plantations and other skills to improve their economic conditions.
“To date, the Agency has trained more than 1,367 rural community people among the women and youth in various livelihood activities. We have also trained about 275 farmers on climate smart agriculture techniques and skills required during dry season farming. Over the course of the year, we will continue to support various local and international trainings of personnel to improve capacity and productivity within the Agency,” He explained.
According to him, over the years, the Agency has employed different strategies, sensitization and awareness programmes, community stakeholders’ consultations, school outreach programmes to reach out to our operational communities.
In furtherance of PAGGW side meetings at COP27, in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, it was agreed and requested for NAGGW member countries to nominate three Youth Champions to take part in the recently concluded 1st Edition of the Pan African Agency of the Great Green Wall, PAGGW, Green Youth Caravan that toured Senegal, Mauritania and Mali.
The National Agency for the Great Green Wall oversaw a process where three Champions were elected to represent Nigeria at Green Youth Caravan namely, Musa Ibrahim, Fatima Aliyu Magaji and Pius Ekomki, this process led to the formation of the NAGGW Youth Volunteer Programme (NYVP), which is aimed at creating an amicable networking space for youths in different states and communities.
He said, the youths will also be engaged in raising awareness, sensitization, and assuming different responsibilities wards implementation of the vision of GGWI, in showcasing the agency’s activities and impact in the frontline communities.
“To date we have over 5,000 youth volunteers that have registered into the programmes portal nyvp.ggewnigeria.gov.ng and in the next few weeks these volunteers will participate in 5 key activities of Afforestation and reforestation, alternative sources of energy, Jobs and income generation, capacity Building & Public enlightenment and sensitization. in the same light, we sought for and obtained our Governing Council’s approval to establish thé great Green Wall Day which will be held this year on July 13″ 2023 as an effective means of enlightening, sensitizing and mobilizing the public on the Agency’s mandate,” he added.
He however commended President Muhammadu Buhari commitment and support to the Great Green Wall Initiative, on the Presidential approval to clear Nigeria’s outstanding contributions to the convention of the Pan Africa Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW) from 2018 to date.
The Great Green Wall Programme is a Pan-African Initiative conceived to address land degradation and desertification, to boost food security and support communities to adapt to climate change in the Sahel-Sahara region of Africa.
The basis of the Nigerian component of the Great Green Wall Initiative, is to prevent desertification, land degradation, and mitigating the effects of climate change in the 11 frontline states of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa.
