The Borno State Government has lamented how the activities of Boko Haram have contributed to desert encroachment and deforestation in Borno and Yobe states which may worsen climate change effects.
The Manager of the Borno State Agricultural Development Programme, Darman Mohammed, during training of extension workers with the theme: “Strengthening Recovery and Resilience from Climate Disaster”, advised farmers to combine food crops, forest plants and animals to fight against the encroachment.
Mohammed said, “The insurgency has affected us in several ways. For instance, when you go to Monguno, Guzamala and Marte councils in the Northern part of the state, our people were forced to flee due to insurgency. Many left their homes without anything. They had to erect makeshift tents to accommodate their families by felling trees.
“We are now at risk of desert encroachment due to the massive felling of trees. This act of deforestation has greatly contributed to climate change in the Lake Chad Basin. The impacts of flooding and desert encroachment were so severe on our farmers this year.
So, we want to bring back the culture of planting trees along with food crops.”
