Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has flagged off the planting of no less than four million tree seedlings along the distribution of 7,500 clean energy cooking kits to approximately 8,000 households in the state.

 

The governor said this year’s planting of trees and distribution of energy cooking kits are to reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal in protecting the forests, improve public health and lower carbon emissions into the fragile atmoshere.

 

He unveiled the 2026 National Tree Planting Campaign on Thursday in Maiduguri, the state capital.

 

According to him, the tree-planting project comprises 2,500 environmental protection agency sanitation vanguards across the state.

 

Zulum described the massive tree planting exercise as more than ceremonial, stating that it represents a collective commitment to the protection of the environment, securing future generations and promoting sustainable development.

 

The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to environmental restoration and climate resilience in mitigating climate change in the country.

 

He noted that Borno, being a frontline state in the Sahel region, continues to face severe environmental challenges, including desert encroachment, rising temperatures, deforestation and land degradation in more than a dozen local council areas of the state.

 

According to him, these environmentalchallenges threaten agriculture, food security, water resources and the livelihoods of millions of residents.

 

He emphasised that environmental restoration remains a key component of the state’s rebuilding and recovery agenda, stressing that sustainable peace and development cannot thrive in a degraded environment.

 

He commended the Federal Ministry of Environment for selecting Borno to host the national campaign, describing it as recognition of the state’s resilience and transformation.

 

The Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal, praised the initiative, describing it as a practical approach to combating desertification and reducing pressure on forest resources.

 

He said Borno was setting a commendable example in environmental sustainability.

 

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, also called for sustained investments in afforestation and clean energy programmes to address climate change, safeguard livelihoods and strengthen food security across vulnerable communities.