Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, has officially flagged off the 2025 Tree Planting Campaign in Sokoto New City, Kasarawa, with a call for collective action to curb desert encroachment in the state.

The governor announced that the state government, through the Ministry of Environment, has procured both environmental and economic seedlings for distribution across the 23 local councils.

He directed local councils to hasten the collection of their allocations for planting in their respective domains.

He further charged council chairmen to sensitise their communities on the dangers of indiscriminate felling of trees and the urgent need to stop the practice.

“Sokoto, as we all know, is located in the Sahelian Region, making it prone to desert encroachment which is advancing at an alarming rate, thereby posing serious threats to our farmlands. We must, therefore, rise to this challenge.

“Where it becomes absolutely necessary to cut down a tree, a replacement must be provided, and concrete measures must be put in place to nurse and protect it.

“As Muslims, we know the position of our religion on the benefits of tree planting and the eternal reward attached to it. In fact, planting trees can be regarded as sadaqatul jariyya, whose reward continues even after death,” Aliyu added.

The governor also lauded the effort of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (GGW) for allocating 450,000 date seedlings to Sokoto State as part of its contribution to combating desertification, mitigating climate change, and enhancing food security.

He explained that the seedlings would soon be made available for collection at designated nursery centres in Gundunga (Kware Council), Goronyo town (Goronyo Council), and Sanyinna (Tambuwal Council).

The governor added that the seedlings would be distributed to individuals, NGOs, government institutions, and public places such as markets, schools, mosques, and hospitals to ensure massive plantation across the state.

Also speaking at the event, the state Commissioner for Environment, Nura Shehu Tangaza, revealed that the ministry has set a target of planting 500,000 seedlings across Sokoto State this year. He stressed that community participation is key to the success of the campaign.

In his remarks, the Director General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Dr. Saleh Abubakar, represented by the Director of Afforestation, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s land from desertification.

He explained that the GGW initiative spans across 11 African countries and covers 11 states in Nigeria, including Sokoto. He praised Aliyu for his commitment to the success of the project in the state.

Chairman of Wamakko Local Council, Umar Ahmed, thanked Aliyu for selecting his area to host this year’s tree planting campaign, pledging the council’s support to ensure its success.