The Federal Government (FG) has pledged strong support for the Nguru Emirate Council’s environmental sustainability efforts, particularly its ambitious tree planting programme, aimed at combating climate change and land degradation in Yobe State.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Emir of Nguru, His Royal Highness Mustafa Ibn Kyari, to the Ministry in Abuja.
READ ALSO: Ekiti govt to add milk to FG’s school feeding programme
Lawal confirmed the FG’s readiness to partner with traditional institutions in tackling environmental challenges.
He announced that the Ministry, through its agencies—including the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, and the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP)—is working to restore degraded land, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, plant trees, and prevent desert encroachment across Nguru, Yobe State, and other parts of the country.
To support the Emirate Council’s target of planting 50,000 trees this year, the Ministry will provide 100,000 tree seedlings, the Minister confirmed.
He also highlighted other priority areas such as the Nguru Watershed, the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin, and the Lake Chad Basin.
Describing the Emir as a committed environmentalist, Lawal pledged the Ministry’s continued support under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on environmental protection and climate resilience.
In response, the Emir of Nguru expressed appreciation for the Minister’s swift action on ecological issues affecting the Emirate, particularly through initiatives being implemented by NAGGW, ACReSAL, and NEWMAP.
Accompanying the Emir was Abba Liman, Chairman of the Forest Farmers Cooperative Society Nguru, who briefed the Minister on the Council’s involvement in agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture, livestock development, environmental protection, youth and women employment, and access to agricultural finance.
READ ALSO: FG to establish eight medical simulation centres nationwide
Liman praised the ongoing collaboration between the Ministry and the Emirate Council, while the Director-General of NAGGW, Abubakar Sale, also lauded the Emirate’s proactive role in climate action.
It will be recalled that the Presidential Committee on the Nguru Ecological Intervention has already submitted its report to the Minister.
