The Jigawa Government has warned against the use of unauthorised chainsaws to fell trees, threatening offenders with fines and jail terms.
Dr. Abdullahi Umar-Namadi, Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Environment, issued the warning while speaking to newsmen after a tree planting campaign in Dutse.
The campaign was organised by the Partnership for Development Action (PADAC) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The PADAC, a focal NGO of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), is spearheading a 100,000-tree planting initiative across the state.
Umar-Namadi said the state government had reviewed its environmental law to curb indiscriminate tree felling, adding that the revised law was currently before the State House of Assembly for consideration and approval.
“It is the policy of the state government to make Jigawa green, and this cannot be achieved unless seedlings are properly cared for,” he said.
“In addition, we are committed to maintaining the existing trees.
“If you fail to preserve the trees already planted while only focusing on new ones, and people continue to destroy the existing ones, then progress will be impossible,” he added.
“To address this, the state’s environmental law has been reviewed and is currently before the State House of Assembly for deliberation, pending final assent by His Excellency.
“Once enacted, no one will be allowed to use a chainsaw to fell trees without official approval.
“Any chainsaw found in use without authorisation will be confiscated and become the property of the Jigawa Government,” he warned.
The Permanent Secretary added that any tree cut down without authorisation will attract a fine of N100,000, one year in jail, or both.
According to him, laws are not made to punish offenders, but to deter people from committing offences.
“This is the only way to make Jigawa green. So, it is not enough to plant trees, but to maintain and nurture them to maturity because this is the only way we can enjoy the fruit of our efforts,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary, who described the NGO’s gesture as a very “good development”, emphasised the need for benefiting communities to maintain and nurture the planted seedlings to maturity to ensure a sustainable environment.
Alhaji Mustafa Aminu, a senior member of the Dutse Emirate Council, noted that trees served as windbreakers and help improve air quality.
He urged parents, especially mothers, to instill the culture of tree planting in their children to promote a greener environment.
Blessing Tagaino, Programme Officer of the NGO, said the seedlings planted were climate-resilient species capable of mitigating the effects of climate change in the state.
She added that the initiative was part of the NGO’s 2025 tree planting campaign, “which aims to plant 1,500 seedlings along three selected roads in Dutse, the state capital.”