Kano produces 9m seedlings to check desertification

The Coordinator of the State Aforestation Project (KNAP), Alhaji Ali Dauda, disclosed this in Kano.
Dauda said the seedlings were produced at eight designated nurseries located in Dawakin Kudu, Karaye, Bichi, Dambatta, Gaya, Takai, Gafan and Farm Service Centre in Kano.
The seedlings include conventional and indigenous seedlings as well as fruits bearing species, among others. He said the idea behind the massive production of the seedlings was borne out of the state government’s commitment to control desert encroachment.
The coordinator said that the seedlings were usually distributed free to farmers, schools and other interested individuals.
“Already, the state government has directed the project to distribute the ones produced this year before the rainy season ends to enable the beneficiaries plant them. We recently overhauled three of our vehicles in order to facilitate the distribution exercise,’’ he said.
According to him, the project has also established more than 200km of shelter belt in 16 local government areas that were prone to desert encroachment.
He said the affected local governments were Bagwai, Gwarzo, Shanono, Bichi, Tsanyawa, Kunchi, Ungoggo, Minjibir, Tofa, Dawakin Tofa, Gezawa, Gabasawa and Dambatta, among others.
He commended the state government for sustaining the project in spite of the withdrawal of the co-sponsors of the programme.
Meanwhile Dr Jabbi Kilgori, the Sokoto State Environment Commissioner, has said that the state government has raised more than 1 million economic trees as part of afforestation efforts.
Kilgori disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto while commenting on desert control measures adopted by the state government.
“The seedlings will be given to the residents of the state. We want to encourage people in the state to plant at least a tree or more, and nurse them to maturity. The seedlings will be given to individuals, government agencies, groups and associations for distribution and planting,” he explained.
He said that the rate at which the desert was encroaching into the state annually was alarming.
Kilgori warned the people of the state against indiscriminate felling of trees.
“Such an obnoxious act and other environmentally-endangering habits should be stopped henceforth. Global warming and other related environmental problems due to the ozone layer depletion are real. The time to act is now and we can help a lot in reversing the ugly trend by planting trees and nurturing them,” Kilgori said. (NAN)