Great Green Wall’s N10 billion intact – Ministry

Mr Taiye Haruna, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said at the inauguration of the GGW Project implementation Unit (PIU), yesterday in Abuja, that: “Mr President approved N10 billion for the project and we are transparent in its management, in fact the funds is yielding dividend and we are very prudent in its management.”Daily Trust recalls […]

Mr Taiye Haruna, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said at the inauguration of the GGW Project implementation Unit (PIU), yesterday in Abuja, that: “Mr President approved N10 billion for the project and we are transparent in its management, in fact the funds is yielding dividend and we are very prudent in its management.”
Daily Trust recalls that the presidency approved N10 billion as part of the national funding for project. N3 billion was released to the ministry in 2013 for field activities ,including the establishment of nurseries in the 11 participating states and mobilisation and engagement of communities in the states.
Haruna said that the establishment of the PIU was one of the compulsory requirement for the participating 11 countries of Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Chad under the Great Green Wall project.
“The inauguration we are witnessing today is not only a great stride towards the implementation of the Great Green Wall  programme but another manifestation of our strong aspiration to combat desertification and improve the livelihoods of the affected communities in Nigeria,” Haruna added.
The GGW is an initiative of the African Union that seeks to tackle the detrimental social, economic and environmental impacts of land degradation and desertification in the region.
In Nigeria, the GGW is being implemented in 11 frontline states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara. The programme involves, among others, the establishment of 1,500km of shelter belt stretching from Kebbi to Borno; promotion of alternative sources of energy and livelihood.