The Nigerian government has urged its over 200 million citizens to plant 10 trees each year as a proactive measure to combat Desertification and drought. This initiative was announced by the Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, during his keynote address to commemorate the 2024 World Desertification and Drought Day in Abuja. He described this tree-planting initiative as a critical step towards restoring degraded lands, combating desertification, and building resilience against drought. He emphasized that this Reforestation drive is crucial for Nigeria to meet its Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target by 2030.
Desertification, which is the process by which fertile land becomes a desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture, poses a severe threat to Nigeria, particularly in the northern regions where vast tracts of land are already degraded. Nigeria faces one of the highest rates of desertification in the world. Approximately 35% of the country’s land area is threatened by desertification, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people. The northern part of Nigeria is particularly vulnerable, with estimates suggesting that the desert is advancing southwards at a rate of about 0.6 kilometres per year.
Strategies to mitigate desertification in Nigeria.
This progression threatens not only Agricultural Productivity but also the Sustainability of local communities. It leads to the loss of arable land, reduces water quality and availability, and increases the frequency and severity of droughts, creating a vicious cycle of land degradation and poverty. To combat this pressing issue, Nigeria has adopted an approach that includes both local and international strategies. One of these strategies is the Great Green Wall Initiative. This ambitious project aims to create a 15-kilometer-wide strip of vegetation stretching across the entire Sahel region, including northern Nigeria. The goal is to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, improving Food Security and combating climate change.
Another is the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100). Nigeria is a key participant in this initiative, which seeks to restore 100 million hectares of land across Africa by 2030. Through AFR100, Nigeria aims to restore four million hectares of degraded forests and farmlands. Then, there is the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Target. Nigeria is committed to achieving its LDN target by 2030, which involves balancing the amount of land degradation with measures to restore degraded land. This requires significant efforts in sustainable land management practices, reforestation, and community engagement.
President Tinubu bans single-user across all MDAs.
Earlier in his address, Minister Salako praised President Tinubu’s dedication to addressing Nigeria’s environmental challenges, including pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. This commitment was demonstrated by the President’s approval of a memo to ban single-use plastics across all government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). This significant policy shift, complemented by other initiatives like mass mobilization for reforestation, forms a vital part of the government’s comprehensive strategy for Plastic Waste Management and land restoration. “This initiative demonstrates our commitment to addressing the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution,” Salako remarked.
In his welcome address, the permanent secretary of the Environment Ministry, Mallam Mahmud Kambari, reiterated the urgent need for behavioural change to restore degraded lands and mitigate drought. He pointed out that actions such as developing and conducting production activities in harmony with nature and avoiding over-cultivation, bush burning, overgrazing, and other unsustainable land practices are crucial. Kambari stressed that Land Restoration is a collective responsibility, as everyone depends on the land. He called on states and local governments, community-based organizations, and citizens from all walks of life to unite to halt the degradation of Nigeria’s limited land resources.
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He urged citizens to work together to restore and rehabilitate the country’s degraded land in the face of an increasing population and the impacts of climate change, ensuring sustainable growth and development for future generations. The high-level event, convened under the theme “United for Land: Our Legacy, Our Future,” saw diverse participants from the environment sector, including representatives from the World Bank, UNDP, Energy Commission of Nigeria, NESREA, and ACReSAL. Globally, June 17 marks the United Nations’ World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. This day highlights the urgent need to halt land degradation through global cooperation and innovative solutions.