FG Is Committed to Transforming The Dry Lands In Nigeria – Zarma

The Honourable Minister of Environment, Surveyor Suleiman Hassan Zarma said the Federal Government through the National Agency for the Great Green Wall is committed to the transformation of the dry lands for the benefit of affected communities in conserving and protecting the lands.

The Minister stated this on Wednesday February 20^th, 2019 when he visited National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) on a familiarization tour.

Suleiman said that 924, 000 square meters is being degraded daily and the population is also increasing, hence the need to urgently recover and conserve the lands.

He said NAGGW should have a strong synergy with consultants and ensure that plants that were planted must be nurtured to maturity before leaving the site and also engage the services of Forest Guards in order to safeguard the trees that were planted.

In his remarks, the Director General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Dr. Bukar Hassan, expressed his gratitude and commended the minister for finding time out of his tight schedule to come for this important visit.

Dr. Bukar, stated that the Agency is working hard towards actualising the major objectives of the Agency; the objectives according  to him includes developing and promoting sustainable agricultural and water management practices, ecological restoration of degraded ecosystem using appropriate techniques and technology, others are improving information sharing and cooperation among stakeholders, improving scientific knowledge on desertification and drought.

He added that about 22, 500 square metre of the degraded land in the dry region is targeted for rehabilitation of agricultural activities and over 40 million people livelihoods would be improved by 2030.

Sule Pauline (Mrs)

Head, Press and Public Relations Unit

21^st February, 2019