Yobe to plant 3 million seedlings

The Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni has distributed three million tree seedlings to fight desertification and other environmental hazards.

The seedlings distributed to stakeholders in the last two years comprises assorted species of economic trees for the establishment of plantations across the state.

While announcing the renewed fight against desertification last week in Damaturu during a ministerial briefing, the Director in the Ministry of Environment for Planning, Research and Statistics, Hassan Musa, said: “We’ve established 1,300 hectares of gum Arabic plantation in three senatorial districts.”

The briefing tagged: “Promoting Accountability and Good Governance,” was to showcase performances of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in commemoration of the second anniversary of the Mai Mala Buni administration.

According to him, in each of the three senatorial districts, 100 hectares of the plantation were established to check further spread of desertification.

He said as desertification moves southwards at 600 metres per annum, it affected the north part of the state, comprising eight councils.

While speaking on National World Desertification Day, he said: “The Ministry was able to host the Desertification Day at Sabon Garin Idi Barde of Nangere council area.

“These plantations are backed up with all the sustainability requirements, including perimeter fencing, boreholes and labour to manage them.

He noted that the ministry was able to resurvey and re-demarcate the Dusuwa forest reserve to check encroachment.

On massive tree-planting campaigns, he said: “We’ve revamped the tradition of tree planting, which was abandoned a long time ago.

“This was aimed at encouraging the public on the massive planting of trees to check desert encroachment and other environmental hazards.