By Abdullahi Tukur | Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria
About 900,000 residents of Kebbi State are set to benefit from the ongoing Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative, as part of a broader intervention to combat desertification and restore degraded ecosystems across northern Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Director General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Alhaji Sale Abubakar, during a recent inspection tour of participating communities in five pilot local government areas of the state. The DG was represented by the Director of Afforestation and Land Management, Mr. Ahmed Majidadi Bagudo.
According to the DG, Kebbi State was selected under an enhanced $3 million intervention programme funded by the United Nations Environment Facility Programme. The project is aimed at improving community livelihoods, especially among women and youth, while restoring degraded lands.
“The project is a significant boost for environmental sustainability and socio-economic development in Kebbi. We are targeting five local government areas out of the 21 in the state, with three communities selected in each as part of the pilot phase,” Bagudo stated.
Alhaji Sale Abubakar also paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, who reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the Great Green Wall initiative.
In addition, the delegation visited traditional rulers including the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Ilyasu Bashar; the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Muhammad Samaila Mera; and the District Head of Kamba, Alhaji Mahmuda Jarumai. The DG sought their cooperation in mobilizing grassroots support for the success of the programme.
The Great Green Wall project, first launched under former President Goodluck Jonathan, has recorded notable successes across Nigeria’s arid regions. Kebbi’s inclusion under the enhanced UN programme marks a strategic effort to deepen the impact of climate action in the Sahel.
