‘GGW a vital tool to fight poverty, desertification’

Mrs Nana Fatima Mede, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Environment has called on Nigerians especially those in the north to support the implementation of the Great Green Wall as it has the potentials of reducing poverty and stopping desertification. Mede said during an advocacy visit to the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar with […]

Mrs Nana Fatima Mede, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Environment has called on Nigerians especially those in the north to support the implementation of the Great Green Wall as it has the potentials of reducing poverty and stopping desertification.
Mede said during an advocacy visit to the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar with the Director General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Mr Goni Ahmed that the project was conceived by African Heads of States as a means of solving one of Africa’s major challenges which is desertification.
“The project is implemented in Katsina and 10 other frontline states to assist in the fight against desertification, so it is important that the people support the project as they will be the beneficiaries at the end,” she said.
She also urged the Emir to educate the residents on the need to avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse on flood plain said that the annual flood experienced in the Daura was as a result of absences of drainages, blocked water ways and building on flood plains.
The Permanent Secretary who also visited Ganga, Daura LGA and Misra, Mai’Adua LGA of Katsina, locations of the GGW projects in the state said in that it was important for the residents of Katsina to plant trees as it would assist them overcome the threats of flood and also fight the desertification.
“There is the need for the people to plant trees as we make efforts from the ministry to construct water harvesters. Both efforts will help to prevent soil erosion, reduce the incidences of flood and desertification. We should endeavour to make sure that environment is treated in such a way that some of these problems will not arise. All these problems are manmade. We cut down trees, we do things that deplete the soil, we use insecticide to farm and all these harm the environment,” she said.
She said that the idea of water harvesters was borne out of the need to conserve the excess water responsible for flood and save it for the nearest future.
“The conserved water can be used for irrigation purposes during the dry season which will also help to covert the effect of the desertification. These are all the things we are looking at, making sure that we plant trees, making sure we do not go into things that would help erode the soil and the strength of the soil.
According to her, farmers in the state would greatly benefit from the GGW project, adding that: “Farmers are being encouraged to raise seedlings and we purchase these seedlings from them thereby empowering them economically. Apart from that, the boreholes here are all working and we think this will help. This will help to also arrest the issue of desertification. The GGW program was put in place essentially to help prevent the deserts moving to the southwest. The whole of the eleven frontline states have been affected by the desertification and we have about 40 per cent of Nigerians that are suffering from the effects of desertification so we believe if everything is put in place, it will help in reducing the impact on Nigerians.
We expect that the GGW will empower the people, it will help to improve their livelihood, it will also help to make sure that the effect of the dessert is stopped. We are happy with what we have seen, citizens are happy. We saw the forest guards and they are happy. We will continue to monitor this closely,” she added.
The Emir,  Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar commended the ministry and the National Agency for the Great Green Wall for a job well done assuring of the emirate’s  commitment to the GGW.
He said that the lingering flood challenge in Daura would be a thing of the past if the people cultivate the habit of planting trees.
Also speaking during the tour of the GGW projects, Hussaini A. Dangani, Permanent Secretary, Katsina State Ministry of Environment said that the state was prepared to support the project being the state with the longest stretch of the project.
He said that to ensure the success of the programme the federal, state and local government have their roles  but added that the responsibilities of the states mainly has to do with making land available and the coordination of farmers and residents to key into the project.
Through the programme, he said that farmers and residents would be empowered while water would be provided for both human and animal uses.
Goni Ahmed said during the tour that the Katsina component of the GGW was on course as the agency was able to implement an integrated programme for the people to have an orchard and economic activities and a shelterbelt.
“We have provided water for the community for use by human and animals. The orchard is to enable the people raise seedlings for sale to the project while also raising trees for their own kitchen requirement,” he said.