World Environment Day: Embrace mass tree planting to combat desertification, FG urges Nigerians

The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to embrace mass tree planting as a key strategy for combating desertification, land degradation and the growing impact of climate change across the country.

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Saleh Abubakar, made the call in his message marking the 2026 World Environment Day.

Abubakar said the appeal aligns with the environmental sustainability agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which is focused on tackling desertification, restoring degraded lands and strengthening climate resilience.

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He noted that World Environment Day, observed annually on June 5, serves as the United Nations’ foremost platform for promoting global awareness and action on environmental protection.

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Reflecting on the 2026 theme, “Now for Climate” (also expressed as “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”), the NAGGW boss urged Nigerians to actively participate in environmental stewardship by adopting sustainable practices within their communities.

He said the agency would continue to intensify efforts in tree planting, agroforestry and community empowerment programmes aimed at building climate resilience in Nigeria’s frontline states.

He said restoring degraded landscapes goes beyond environmental conservation, as it also enhances food security, creates jobs and improves livelihoods, particularly in the 11 frontline states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.

Abubakar recalled that in 2025, the agency launched a nationwide campaign to plant 50 million date palm seedlings across the frontline states to curb desertification, create green jobs and boost economic growth.

“Planting fruit trees such as date palms not only restores degraded land but also strengthens local economies and improves household nutrition.

“Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the advance of the Sahara Desert,” he said.

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