The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to partnering with traditional institutions to promote environmental sustainability through tree planting and other climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes.
The Minister stated this during a courtesy visit by the Emir of Nguru, HRH Mustafa Ibn Kyari, and his delegation to the Ministry in Abuja.
Balarabe disclosed that the Ministry, along with agencies under his purview namely; the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Agro Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) and Nigeria Erosion and WaterShed Management Project (NEWMAP), is working assiduously to restore degraded lands, plant trees, reduce green house emissions and combat desert encroachment in Nguru, Yobe state and other States in Nigeria.
The Minister assured the Emir that the Ministry would provide 100,000 tree seedlings to support the Emirate Council’s target of planting 50,000 trees this year.
The Minister listed other areas of focus to include Nguru watershed, Hadejia-Jamare River basin, Lake Chad Basin among others.
The Minister, who described the emir as an Environmentalist, assured him of the ministry ‘s unflinching support to combat climate change as part of the *Renew Hope Agenda* of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration on Environment.
Earlier, the emir of Nguru HRH, Mustafa Ibn Kyari commended the Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal for his prompt action on issues of environmental challenges in Nguru Emirate Council through Projects being implemented through NAGGW, AcreSal and NEWMAP.
The emir was accompanied on the courtesy visit by the Chairman, Forest Farmers Cooperative Society Nguru, Abba Liman that involved in Agro Forestry, climate smart Agriculture practices, livestock development.
Other areas includes environmental protection, women and youth employment, Access to agricultural finance among others.
Liman commended the Minister for effective collaboration between the ministry and its agencies with the Emirate.
The Director-General of the NAGGW, Abubakar Sale, commended the Nguru Emirate Council in identifying with the Ministry of Environment and its Agencies and for effective collaboration between them to mitigate the effect of climate change in the Council.
It would be recalled that the Presidential committee on Nguru Ecologoical Intervention has since submitted its report to the Minister.
*Ibrahim Haruna*
Director (Information)
