Buhari approves 15 percent ecological fund – TheNigerialawyer

The National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) with the
approval of President Muhammadu Buhari is to access the 15 percent
ecological and natural resource development fund for execution of
its programmes and projects across the country.

The Director General/ CEO NAGGW Bukar Hassan disclosed this at
the first stakeholders consultative forum of the National Alliance
for Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative with the
theme ‘Transforming the Drylands of Nigeria’ programmes and
implementation in Abuja.

According to him: “The National Agency for the Great Green Wall
(NAGGW) has restated its commitment towards improving livelihood of
over 20 million people by the year 2030. Within same period, about
22,500sqkm of degraded land in the dry region of the country will
be rehabilitated.

“The agency is also engaged in Baseline Studies and
Environmental Impact Assessment, Community Mobilisation,
Sensitisation and Awareness Campaign; Afforestation and Land
Management; Promotion of Alternative Livelihoods; Rural
Infrastructure; FAO Supported Action Against Desertification
Project; and Employment Generation.

“These ongoing programme/projects include, “Ecological
restoration and rehabilitation to enhance the livelihoods of the
affected communities and strengthen their resilient to climate
change, Promotion of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices to
enhance food security and climate change adaptation,

“Improvement of critical rural infrastructure for enhanced
socioeconomic development; Promotion of alternative and efficient
sources of rural energy to reduce deforestation and combat climate
change, women and youth empowerment and promotion of alternative
livelihoods to reduce rural unemployment, social conflicts, forced
migration and rural poverty; Review and update of baseline
information and establishment of functional Database on drought
sand desertification in Nigeria, Renovation of Afforestation
Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU) facility in Kano (Second phase);
Development of GGW extension services strategy and structures.

“The Strengthening of the existing GIS laboratory for data
analysis, Public awareness and mobilization campaigns, Support for
research and development, Installation of automatic weather
stations for real time data collection and informed decision
making, Establishment of Community Plant Nurseries for the
production of tree seedlings.

“Others are: Recruitment of Forest Guards, Rangeland restoration
and development to reduce farmers-herders’ conflict and enhance
livestock production in line with Government policy, Fixation of
active sand dunes and oasis Rehabilitation, and Trade and capacity
building of local communities on natural resources management
amongst others activities”.

Hassan identified some of the challenges being faced in the
execution of its activities to include insecurity in some states in
the dry lands, vandalisation of field investments by thieves and
other hoodlums, poor community participation, lack of financial
contribution from States for the programme implementation,
inadequate availability of land in some states for project
implementation, and Weak institutional capacity, particularly at
state, local and community levels.

On the way forward, the DG suggested provision of counterpart
funding by participating states, establishment of inter-ministerial
technical committee to enhance synergy and technical support,
provision of land by states for project implementation, enhancing
collaboration with development partners to improve funding.