DESERTIGICATION: ZULUM LAUNCHES 1.2 MILLION TREES PLANTING IN BORNO 04/09/23
By: Sadiq Aminu The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has launched the 2023 tree-planting campaign with 1.2 million trees to be planted across the state.
Governor Zulum launched the campaign at Borno State University Teaching Hospital with the aim of curbing desertification and other environmental problems.
He advocated the use of gas cookers and wood-efficient stoves as against the use of firewood.
“If (tree felling) is left unchecked, we may one day find that the whole of Borno State is a desert. We are all aware that we have lost more than 80% of our vegetation in the state to insurgency. All the trees around our village communities have been cleared for security reasons and some were cleared for firewood”, Zulum said.
The Governor announced that the State Government is targeting to plant ten million seedlings in 2024 campaign exercise.
He explained that of the 10 million trees, each of the 27 Local Governments will raise 200,000 trees to make up 5.4 million trees while the State Government will raise about five million trees.
Governor Zulum charged ministry of environment and all the local government areas to ensure the seedlings are raised early so that tree-planting can commence early next year.
Commissioner ministry for Environment, Alhaji Emat Kois said one million seedlings have been raised and will be distributed to government agencies, private organisations and housing estates.
He called on non-governmental organisations, clubs and associations to support the campaign of the state government by planting and nurturing trees to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Highlight of the occasion was the symbolic tree-planting by the Governor, his deputy, Umar Kadafur, Speaker of the State Assembly and other dignitaries.
Correspondent Dauda Iliya reports that 2023 tree planting campaign has as it’s theme: “Trees for Resettlement” .