The Federal Government has flagged off its 2026 tree planting campaign in Kano State, unveiling plans to plant 48 million tree seedlings across thousands of hectares of land to combat desertification and strengthen climate resilience in Northern Nigeria.
The campaign, launched during the 4th edition of the Great Green Wall Day, also featured the inauguration of the SURAGGWA National Steering Committee. The government disclosed that 10.8 million drought-resistant seedlings and 869,089 date palm seedlings have already been distributed to farmers across the region.
Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal urged every resident of Northern Nigeria to plant at least 10 trees this year in homes, schools, offices, markets and places of worship, describing tree planting as a collective responsibility.
Lawal said President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda places environmental sustainability at the centre of national development, stressing that healthy ecosystems are essential for food security, economic growth and climate resilience.
Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Saleh Abubakar, said the agency has established thousands of hectares of shelterbelts, woodlots, orchards and plantations while also providing solar home systems, fuel-efficient cookstoves, solar-powered boreholes and livelihood opportunities for more than 210,000 Nigerians, mostly women and youths.
Representing Governor Abba Yusuf, Kano State Commissioner for Environment Dahiru Hashim said the state’s climate initiatives had earned it fourth position in climate action rankings. He added that the relocation of the agency’s headquarters to Kano demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges in the region.
