Agency engages 15,000 volunteers to mitigate climate change

The National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) has registered 15,000 youth volunteers that will participate in afforestation and reforestation, alternative sources of energy, jobs and income generation, capacity building in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The volunteers will be engaged in the implementation programmes in 11 frontline states of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa such as land restoration and management practices and to demonstrate a positive impact on environment.

NAGGW Director General, Dr. Yusuf Maina-Bukar, who disclosed these while briefing journalists to mark one year in office in Abuja, explained that they have made notable achievements in terms of the livelihoods of the communities in the affected states to reverse the menace of desertification.

He said: “Since its inception, afforestation and restoration activities have been the heart of its activities, these include establishment of shelterbelts, woodlots, orchards and most recently institutional planting, social forestry, farm forestry, marketable gardens and large-scale restoration of degraded land.”

“We have introduced techniques, strategies and approaches to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Great Green Wall programmes such as the Half Moon and Zai methods of planting; that enhances seedling and tree survival rate, and improves soil retention capacity.”

Maina-Bukar stated that they have improved soil fertility and increased vegetation cover using the waterbox retention technology for irrigation that enhances seedling and tree survival rate by 90 per cent during dry season and reduces the carbon footprints released in the environment.

“During this period, the Great Green Wall programme has been able to provide numerous job opportunities for young people and women in rural communities, by training them on sustainable land management techniques, supporting them to establish tree nurseries, forest plantations and other skills to improve their economic conditions,” he said.