Great Green Wall Coalition Model in Djibouti

DG National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Showcases Nigeria’s Great Green Wall Coalition Model in Djibouti

The Director General/CEO of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Saleh Abubakar, MFR,is participating in the Fourth Residential Seminar on the implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGW), taking place Djibouti.

The seminar, convened by the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall in collaboration with key international partners including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), brings together governments and development partners to accelerate land restoration and climate resilience across Africa’s drylands.

At the opening ceremony, speakers reaffirmed that the Great Green Wall remains one of Africa’s most ambitious environmental and socio-economic initiatives. The European Union also announced an additional €7 million in support of the Knowledge for Great Green Wall Action (K4GGWA) programme through 2030.

Saleh Abubakar, presented Nigeria’s National GGW Coalition, launched on 2 November 2022 to strengthen coordination and resource mobilization. He explained that the GGW has evolved beyond tree planting into a broader ecosystem restoration and rural development programme addressing land degradation, food insecurity, and climate change.

He highlighted progress in domestic and international resource mobilization, including prospects under the UNEP/GEF cycle and GCF-supported regional projects, while acknowledging challenges such as limited sub-national land commitment and security concerns.

The Director General reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to translating discussions into concrete, measurable actions that improve livelihoods in frontline communities affected by desertification.