FG urges frontline states to support GGW with budgetary allocations

The Federal Government has called on the 11 frontline states participating in the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) to make financial contributions through annual budgetary allocations as well as provide land and community mobilization to support the programme.
This was contained in a communiqué made available to journalists at the end of the 10th National Council on Environment tagged “Environment and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria:  Empowering People, Taking Climate Action and Protecting the Environment.”
According to the communiqué, the council also approved forestry development and afforestation programmes such as enrichment planting in forest reserves nationwide, promoting the use of alternative source of energy and suspension of further exportation of woods.
The Director- General of NAGGW, Mr. Goni Ahmed, had earlier in a presentation at the forum noted that in Nigeria, dry lands constituted about 43 per cent of its total land area covering 11 states, which is directly threatened by land degradation.
He said most of the population was dependent on natural and land resources based economy for their livelihoods with over 80% of the nation’s vegetables and livestock produced in the area.
“This unique economic hub deserves priority attention by all tiers of government and the citizenry,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, stated that the importance of the environment to the current administration was reflected as one of the six core pillars of its agenda.
The ministry, according to her,was set to contribute to the agenda with its new vision of empowering the people, taking climate action and protecting the environment.
The forum, however resolved among other issues to launch the Clean and Green Campaign which, according to the minister,would address the menace of open defecation and indiscriminate disposal of plastics.