The Executive Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda PhD CON unveils plan to address desertification and ecological challenges in Katsina State.
The announcement came during the launch of a climate change awareness campaign and the “Tree for Every Child” project at Muhammadu Dodo Model Primary School in Kofar Kaura Layout, Katsina.
The Governor in his address declared that the programme aims to raise between four to ten million tree seedlings annually. Adding that it is part of a broader strategy to engage school-aged pupils, youths, volunteers, women farmers, and the general public in environmental conservation efforts.
Governor Radda emphasized the critical need for tree planting in the face of global warming and climate change. “Planting trees is more necessary now than ever before, particularly with the apparent dangers of global warming arising from climate change,” the Governor stated.
He also announced plans to reintroduce forest officers and guards to safeguard forests and prevent indiscriminate tree felling.
The “Tree for Every Child” project, a cornerstone of this initiative, will see hundreds of primary school pupils receive a token of five thousand naira each to nurture trees to maturity. This innovative approach aims to instill a sense of environmental responsibility in the younger generation while contributing to the state’s green cover.
Alhaji Hamza Suleiman Faskari, the State Commissioner of Environment, lauded the collaboration between the government and non-governmental organizations, particularly the Ahmed Usman Pure Life Foundation. He described these efforts as an affirmation of the state government’s resolve to collectively attain sustainable change through climate education, awareness, understanding, and action.
Also speaking at the inaugural occasion, Ahmed Usman, founder of the Pure Life Foundation, revealed that the initial target of planting ten thousand seedlings has been expanded to twenty thousand, thanks to improved funding. The foundation has also partnered with the state ministry of environment to provide twenty thousand protection baskets to guard the planted trees from destruction by animals or children.
The tree planting programme is one of the strategic planning by the Katsina State Government to address environmental conservation and climate change mitigation.
