Great Green Wall Day: NAGGW sensitises Gombe primary schools on tree planting
……Gov Yahaya says initiative inline with the state’s Gombe Goes Green 3G
Chima Azubuike
The National Agency for Great Green Wall has harped on the need to fight desert encroachment through planting of trees, following overwhelming environmental challenges.
According to the Assistant Director, Fati Yerima, there was need to replace trees, in order to reduce the effects of climate change.
Yerima, made this disclosure on Thursday during sensitisation campaign at Hassan Central and Pen Resource primary schools to commemorate Great Green Wall Day using Dutch technology to plant trees.
Our correspondent reports that the theme for 2023 is ‘push back our desert’.
According to her, “This is a pan African initiative that was established to address issues on land degradation, deforestation to boost food security and at the same time improve the livelihood of people in desert prone areas. It’s an agency under the Federal Government.”
Speaking on the choice of primary schools for sensitisation Yerima added, “The youth is the future of tomorrow, we want to catch them young to show them effect of cutting down trees and importance of planting trees to stop desert encroachment.When you enlighten them and they know the value of planting and not felling trees it will build their knowledge.
“Trees help in reducing carbon emission and it stops harsh wind from Sahara that is why we want to catch them young them know the effects of climate change, deforestation.”
Speaking on the Dutch technology also known as water box, which conserves water and protects the plant for a period of six months from intense weather condition, Field officer Mubarak Abdulramid, said pit of about 40 centimeters should be dug before planting in the box. He talked about the various layers, which protects it from water escape, he said two tubes prevents it water escape and dirt.
Responding, Head Teacher of Hassan Central Nursery and Primary School, Salah Gombe, described planting of trees as highly imperative, “this is because plants provides man with oxygen and takes in Carbondioxide, this means planting of tree is very important. I’m extremely happy to see this new methods of planting trees,” he added.
At the Gombe Government House, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, performed the symbolic planting of a tree to mark the international day
Represented by the Deputy Governor Dr Manassah Jatau, the Governor said activities of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall fits well into his administration’s Gombe Goes Green Project
He said, “The Gombe Goes Green Project 3G is a calculated policy by the Gombe State Government to plant an average of four million trees in the first four years of the administration of this administration.”
Yahaya expressed gratitude to the Agency for striving towards curtailing the encroachment of the Sahara desert in the arid and semi arid regions of Nigeria.
