The National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) and the Federal Ministry of Environment have signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) on mass afforestation as a way of curbing the menace of desertification across the country.
The programme, which is called the ‘Great Green Wall’, is aimed at establishing a 15km wide and 1,500km long permanent shelter belt from Kebbi to Borno State and spanning over other eleven states of the federation.
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It is also expected to deliver about one million trees annually through the involvement of Corps members nationwide.
In his remarks at the signing of the MoU, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, said the menace of desertification, gully erosion as well as flooding and environmental pollution are enormous; hence the need for the government and civil societies to collaborate and evolve strategies for massive afforestation.
The Director-General, who was represented by the Director, Community Development Service and Special Projects, Mrs. Rhoda Kwaki, stated that different types of land degradation processes had posed threat to economic development and security of the nation.
“The challenges of erosion and desertification in Nigeria are enormous and urgent steps need to be taken to address these.
"The mass afforestation programme is, therefore, a governmental effort at addressing the trend in forest depletion which includes free seedling, tree plantation establishment, shelter belt development and public enlightenment targeting the rural communities," Kazaure added.
Also speaking, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Ehi-Ebewete, said the partnership would help to achieve the set objectives in raising the level of tree planting and maintenance culture with the involvement of Corps members.
Ehi-Ebewete added that the programme would complement government’s efforts in enhancing annual tree campaign, plantation establishment, agro-forestry, afforestation among other benefits.
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She said: “All these programmes have the potential of reducing land degradation, promote natural resources conservation, poverty alleviation, food security, livelihood enhancement, employment generation and improved resilience to climate change.”
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Source: NYSC
