FG to plant 50m date palm trees to curb desertification

‎The Federal Government has announced plans to plant 50 million date palm trees by 2030 as part of its renewed efforts to combat desertification and deforestation in Nigeria.

‎Director General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Saleh Abubakar, disclosed this during the official relocation of the agency’s national headquarters to Kano on Tuesday.

Daily Trust reported how President Bola Tinubu recently directed the headquarters to relocate from Abuja to Kano operational office to help streamline its operations.

‎The DG explained that the relocation from Abuja to Kano was strategic, given that Kano sits at the center of the frontline states most affected by desert encroachment.

He noted that the facility already hosts over 50 staff members and will serve as the hub for intensified environmental restoration activities.

‎“As part of the measures we are taking to tackle deforestation, last year we planted five million date trees. Our target is that from now to 2030, we will plant up to 50 million. We usually monitor the seedlings we distribute and track them to ensure they grow,” he said.

‎The DG further revealed that the Agency has secured millions of dollars in funding through a partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations, which will be operationalized from Kano.

‎He assured that the relocation would bring the headquarters closer to the communities most impacted by desertification, thereby ensuring quicker response and active participation in the Great Green Wall initiative.

‎On land encroachment concerns, Abubakar warned against illegal sales of government property within the premises, stressing that the land remains federal property and will not be sold.

He also highlighted the presence of staff quarters, students’ hostels, administrative complex, conference and training facility as well as soil testing laboratory among other infrastructures within the premised.‎