Kano state Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has launched the planting of over 1, 28,000 seedlings of various species of trees as part of efforts to checkmate climate change in the state.
The tree planting campaign was launched at Central Eid Grand, Kofar Mata, and that it will run for two weeks as part of activities to mark the 2023 Tree Planting Campaign.
Read Also: Kano Gov’t to checkmate encroachment of Falgore forest, felling of trees
Speaking at the programme, Governor Yusuf said the campaign was in fulfillment of the pledge of the Federal Government and the 36 Nigerian Governors to plant 25 million trees to enhance the country’s carbon sink as part of the nation’s efforts to implement the “Paris Climate Change Agreement.
He added that it is also in line with the global call for protecting the environment, preserving ecosystems and addressing the menace of global warming.
“The 2023 tree planting campaign is deliberately designed to take off at this material time of the rainy season to avert all encumbrances associated with nursing the seedlings particularly its watering.
“The campaign which will last for two weeks will cover Amana City, Kwankwasiyya City, State Road, Ahmadu Bello Way, Hadejia Road, Gwammaja Layin Bukar Makoda to Masaka Primary School, Unguward Dabai, Chalawa Industrial area, GGSS Jambaki/Bela Erosion site, School of Health Technology, Kano, GGSS Kuka Bulukiya etc. Seedlings will also be distributed to communities, Institutions, Schools, Religious groups, Student Unions and worship centers among many others.
“Let me reiterate that our administration has been according priority attention to the Environment sector especially on the issues of biodiversity conservation, restoration of degraded lands, addressing climate change issues, fighting the menace of desertification and desert encroachment, pollution control, environmental sanitation, prevention of flooding, erosion prevention and control, among other.”
While urging residents to embrace tree planting, the governor said their government will not relent in its effort in bringing to book any resident found wanting in discriminate felling of trees without obtaining an authorized permit from the State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
In his address, the state Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Alhaji Nasiru Sule Garo, said the state government will distribute seedlings to the residents for planting across their various residing areas.
He said the launching of the Tree Planting Campaign was aimed at increasing the adaptive capacity towards reducing the negative impact of soil erosion, climate change and enhancing biodiversity.
“As we may already know, human activities such as bush burning, illegal felling of trees are continuously putting pressure on the already fragile ecosystem thereby threatening food security among other negative climate impacts.”
