The Nigerian Government has announced that it will launch a policy together with the World Bank to reduce desertification and tackle the different environmental challenges in Nigeria’s remediate wetlands.
The Minister of Environment, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, who made this known at the 16th meeting of the National Council on Environment, in Abuja on Thursday said that the policy would be called the Agro-Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes(ACRESAL), programme.
The Minister explained that the latest move would improve the semi-arid areas in the country, adding that the ministry had commenced discussion on the establishment of a National Institute of Environmental Studies, to provide ideas on addressing environmental challenges.
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This development is coming a few months after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed the leadership of the Pan African Great Green Wall (PAGGW) to address land degradation in the country.
“Accordingly, Mr President is driving the funding initiative under the Great Green Wall (GGW) accelerator to fund each country’s priorities,” Abdullahi said. “Closely aligned to the objectives of the PAGGW is the need for a robust tree planting campaign”.
Speaking further, he said, “The president launched the campaign on the sidelines of the PAGGW Council of Ministers Meeting on June 16,”. “States are encouraged to drive their tree planting campaign so that they collectively can meet the 25 million trees target by 2023.
He maintained that there is no better time to reset our relationship with nature than now, adding that the FG is committed to ensuring that Nigerians all live in harmony with nature and brighter hope of sustainable development, as the world was being confronted with enormous environmental challenges.
He further called for urgent collective step-up action by everyone, irrespective of social status, religion, or political leaning, for drastic restoration of the natural ecosystem and also gave assurance that the government would continue to provide every necessary support required to ensure a successful journey to net-zero emission.
Story was adapted from Nairametrics.
