Great Green Wall: Nigeria Committed To Addressing Climate Change Challenges-Salako.
By Zeniat Abubakar, Abuja
The Nigerian government has pledged commitment to addressing the issues of desertification in an effort roll back the effects of climate change.
At the Inauguration of the 9th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Pan- Africa Agency of the Great Green Wall, GGW, held in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment Dr Iziaq Salako said the government is fully committed to the ideals of the great green wall and using nature based solutions to address the challenges of climate change.
He explained that the meeting is a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to fostering an environment where ideas can flourish, and knowledge can be shared without boundaries.
“It is with a great pleasure that I stand before you today to inaugurate the 9th Session of the Technical Expert Meeting of the Pan-Africa Agency of the Great Green Wall, this gathering marks a pivotal moment in our collective pursuit of knowledge, innovation, and progress in our efforts to arrest desertification, land degradation and ultimately increase the quantity of arable land in the Sahel and Sahara regions of Africa.” He stated.
He said experts must recognize that collective strength lies in the ability to learn from one another and draw inspiration from diverse perspectives to work collaboratively towards common goals.
“As we embark on the deliberations of this 9th session, let us keep in mind the profound impact that our decisions and innovations can have on our different countries, on Africa as a continent and the world in general. The solutions we seek, the advancements we make, and the policies we formulate should all be rooted in a shared vision of a better and more sustainable future.”
According to the Minister, “As experts in the fields of Forestry, land restoration, conservation and allied specialties, the Council of Ministers of the Pan African Agency of the Great Green Wall will be relying heavily on your expert recommendations to guide their decisions, let us therefore, ensure that such recommendations are evidence based, they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound”.
The Director General National Agency for the Great Green Wall in Nigeria, Mr Yusuf Maina-Bukar said the government’s commitment to addressing the impact of emerging climate change risks within and near the Great Green Wall corridor implies that efforts must be geared towards effective implementation of the GGWI at regional and national levels.
“Their results are part of what will be discussed here today will pass on to the Council of Ministers tomorrow, and then hopefully the Council of Ministers will pass it to the presidency of the Conference of heads of state.” The DG said.
He said the agency has planted trees in the 11 frontlines states and others states across Nigeria in the river Benue and Niger areas.
“Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, Niger, Benue, and Kwara, those that are not in the frontline state and those in the other parts of the country has also shown interest, so once we are done with the shelterbelts and other models of Plantation, we’ll move downwards towards the coast.”,he said.
Executive Secretary of the PAN- Africa Agency for Great Green Wall, Dr Ibrahim Sa’id said the statutory contributions of member states with the current momentum has demonstrated the commitment of countries to the realization of the Great Green Wall initiative.
“We shall be examining a number of documents submitted for your consideration. These include, in particular, a review of technical achievements over the past year and the planning of key activities for the coming year. This will also be the case for the balance sheet of the financial operations carried out and the related budget for the following year,” he explained.
Dr Sa’id explained that with the support of the African Development Bank, the PAN- Africa Agency has begun the process of drawing up the Institutional, Organizational and Technical Audit, but the various interventions on the Great Green Wall require a well-oiled mechanism for the active participation of all the stakeholders concerned.
“The National Coalition is a very important mechanism for adopting the leadership of our national structures on GGW implementation issues. There can be no good results on the ground without the participation of all sectors and players,” he added.
Representative of the United Nation’s Convention to Combat Desertification, UNNCD, Ms. Louise Baker, expressed pleasure that Nigeria has recorded great success through the Great Green Wall Programmes.
“You have done amazing work so far, in turning the commitments from one planet summit into action, but there’s a long way to go, and collectively there’s a lot of work still to be done.” She said.
The great Green wall is a project led by the Africa Union to combat Desertification in the Sahel region and hold back expansion of the Sahara desert by planting a wall of tress stretching across the entire Sahel.
The project has evolved into a program promoting water harvesting techniques, greenery protection and improving indigenous land use techniques.
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