The National Project Coordinator of the Nigeria Climate Adaptation – Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB), Engr. Ayuba Anda Yalaks, Monday paid a courtesy visit to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) in order to deepen collaboration of the project’s effort in watershed management, combat land degradation, and promote environmental sustainability. During the visit, Engr. Yalaks congratulated the Director General of NAGGW, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, MFR, on the successful hosting of the 10th Anniversary of the Great Green Wall, recently observed in Dutse, Jigawa State. He described the anniversary as “highly impactful and a strong testament to the Agency’s leadership role in environmental restoration.” He also commended the Director General and the Agency for initiating a five-year strategic plan to plant date palm (Dabino) trees across the NAGGW’s shelter belt corridor of the Sahel — a project designed to enhance livelihoods, strengthen food security, biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, green jobs, food security and to ensure a long-term sustainability and developing resilience of the impacted communities along the belt. He further alluded to the fact that the “Great Green Wall is not just a Wall of Trees across the Sahel but a Wall of Hope, Security, Green jobs opportunities, Economic growth, and peace development”. Under the guidance and leadership of Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Minister for Environment; the National Coordinator highlighted NEWMAP-EIB’s mandate— funded by the European Investment Bank with a five-year lifespan — is dedicated to climate change adaptation, erosion control and flood management, watershed management and developing Nigeria’s resilience to the changing climate. He stressed that the NAGGW remains a key partner in advancing Nigeria’s vision for a greener environment, green jobs opportunities, and green economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Renewed Hope Initiatives for an improved and better greener environment and green economy for the betterment of the Nigerian people. “As a green project, we provide bioengineering solutions to protect and sustain the civil engineering infrastructural investment implemented. Most of the erosion and flooding challenges that the country is battling with today are largely man-made, caused by the human quest for livelihood, uncoordinated development, poor termination of drains, and of poor urban town planning and a deficit in urban drainage infrastructural investment. With the increase in the rate to which our forest cover is being degraded and the ever-rising temperature, the depletion of the ozone layer; our rainfall pattern continues to be disrupted. Therefore, reversing this trend is critical and calls for collective action,” he said. However, the current government regime under the environmental leadership stewardship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR is tackling head-on the menace of flood and erosion control through the NEWMAP-EIB funded intervention project. Engr. Yalaks also encouraged the NAGGW to invest more in research and development, focusing on how planted trees — such as Neem, Date palms trees etc — can generate along a value chain, including solutions for managing post-harvest losses, herbicides and pesticides, soil fertilizer, pharmaceuticals etc. This will guarantee ownership and sustainability of the NAGGW across the Sahelian Region of the Nigerian corridor. In his response, the Director General, NAGGW, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, MFR appreciated the visit and pledged the Agency’s continued collaboration and partnership with NEWMAP-EIB. Both parties reaffirmed their shared vision and commitment to tackling watershed challenges, restoring degraded lands, and building a sustainable and resilient environment for the benefit of Nigerians across the Sahel. The NPC was accompanied on the visit by the FPMU Specialist Staff, and in attendance with the DG, NAGGW was some top Management.
