2022 Tree Planting Campaign begins in Nigeria
By Zeniat Abubakar, Abuja
The Nigerian Government has launched its 2022 National Tree Planting Campaign.
Minister of Environment Mr Abdullahi Muhammed disclosed this in Abuja, the nation’s capital on the sideline of the 8th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Great Green Wall of member Countries.
He says the National Tree Planting Campaign is a demonstration of the government commitment towards fighting dessert encroachment and encouraging land reclamation.
“To underscore the importance of Nigeria’s Presidency of the PAGGW and to commemorate ‘Desertification and Drought Day’ observed globally every 17th of June. This year under the auspices of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the President will on the sidelines of this 8th Ordinary Session launch Nigeria’s National Tree Planting Campaign as a demonstration of its global and domestic commitments towards fighting dessert encroachment and encouraging land reclamation.” The Minister explained.
On the 8th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Great Green Wall of member Countries, the Minister said there was the need to evaluate the stages of redemption and disbursement of pledged financial resources by countries as well as the possible review and taking of stock of the current status accelerating the resource mobilization.
He also noted that identifying relevant challenges and proffering desirable recommendations would help in the effective mobilization of resources for implementation of Great Green Wall Initiative, GGWI in participating countries.
“I am very confident that the technical report of the Technical Committee of Experts and the consensus assurances of the Technical and Financial Partners shall guide the deliberations of the Council accordingly, which eventually will proffer implementable recommendation(s) to the Conference of Heads of State and Government.” He stated.
He added that the Council of Ministers Session, the Technical Committee of Experts, and Technical and Financial Partners had met between 14th and 15th June, 2022 and have come up with an articulated report for the consideration of the Council.
The Minister, also commended, President Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Conference of Heads of States and Governments of members States of PAGGW for his support to the PAGGW Secretariat and for providing the requisite leadership to the bloc since assuming the Chairmanship of the PAGGW.
Keys of vehicles to the Executive Secretary of Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall PAGGW, Dr Ibrahim Said was also presented, in fulfillment of Nigeria’s pledge to support the Secretariat.
