Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri October 18, 2020
The Federal Government has established the College of Forestry in Borno state to fight desertification and other environmental degradations. The new College, is being sited at Gongulong village, 10 kilometres North of Maiduguri, the state capital. While announcing establishment of College to Governor at the weekend in Maiduguri, Environment Minister, Mahmoud Abubakar disclosed that he is on a working visit to state fight desertification that has encroached about a dozen councils.
“We have a lot of ecological presence in this state; because of strategic importance in the Lake Chad region and neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon,” he said. According to him, there are Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA working in the state for the Great Green Wall (GGW) and Forestry Research Institute, Baga among others. He said that the 1,500km Green Wall has raised 1.3 million tree seedlings of planting 60- kilometer shelter belt and 140 heaters of forest reserves. According to him, Borno state is one of the 11 Frontline states of the Great Green Wall project. He said the GGW environmentally friendly international project engaged 11 countries. He said that the GGW; is working on the environmental management of deserts and desertification in the northern states of Nigeria. On fighting desertification in the state, he said: “We’re also here to find out the needs of the state.
“What it requires to collaborate and strengthen the mitigation of desert encroachment that travels at 600 metres a year southwards in Borno,” he said. Continued; “The Governor has been working diligently in terms of environmental management in terms of planting trees. “We’ll continue to support him in planting more trees. We’ve planted more trees and we are going to plant more tree seedlings.” He said GGW has already planted over half a million trees in the state. Zulum in his response, said that; “I want to notify Borno people that the Federal Government; has established the College of Forestry in Gongulong village of Jere council of Borno.”
He said with the establishment of the College of Forestry in an arid state, the people will benefit a lot from combating desertification in affected north and central senatorial districts of state. According to him, the bill on the amendment of Act on illegal felling of trees and bush burning; has been sent to House Assembly. He assured the Minister that the state government will collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Environment, Green Wall and the Forestry Research Institute, Baga. He warned that without managing fragile environment; there would be no rainfall. He noted that the nexus between environment and development cannot be overemphasize.
