Desertification: NGO plants tree seedlings in Borno

Sun, Sep 15, 2019
By publisher
2 MIN READ

Agriculture

A Non-Governmental Organization, African Climate Change Research Center (ACCREC), on Sunday began the planting of tree seedlings in Maiduguri as part of a comprehensive campaign to control desertification.

The Regional Director of the organization, Mr Usman Busuguma, who spoke at the inauguration of the exercise at Teachers Village Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp, said the campaign was designed to control desert encroachment in the state.

Busuguma disclosed that improved varieties of economic and non-economic tree seedlings would be planted in selected IDPs camps to enhance ecosystem in the metropolis.

He listed the selected areas to include Teachers Village, Bakassi and Gubio IDPs camps.

The director observed that there were lack of trees in most of the camps in the metropolis, a situation which made life unbearable to the displaced persons.

Busuguma added that the organization would expand its outreach to liberated communities in northern parts of the state, to enhance the campaign against desertification.

Also, Mr Kabiru Wanori, the state Commissioner for Environment, revealed that the state government would embark on massive tree planting to control desertification and protect the environment.

Wanori, represented by Bukar Zanna, the Director Planning, Research and Statistics of the ministry, added that the state government adopted practical measures to reintroduce tree planting exercise that was suspended due to the insurgency.

He noted that thousands of hectares of forest resources were deflated due to the conflict in the past 10 years in the state.

Also, Dr Mohammed Bello, an environmentalist at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), called on the people to imbibe the culture of tree planting to control desertification and protect the environment for sustainable development.

NAN

– Sept. 15, 2019 @ 14:15 GMT |

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