By Christiana Ekpa
The Director-General of National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) Dr Yusuf Bukar, on Tuesday said a total of 45,251,179 assorted tree seedlings had been produced and raised for afforestation.
Bukar made this known at an interactive session with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that a total of 10,813,733 tree seedlings had been distributed to farmers to be planted as trees on farms to promote agroforestry.
He said that a total 14,118 degraded landscape had been rehabilitated through various model of plantations.
According to the DG, 4,455 units of solar home lightening systems had been procured and distributed.
Bukar said that a total of 3,102 units of solar street lights had also been procured and installed at rural markets, boreholes and plant nursery sites.
He said that the agency had also procured and distributed 6,300 units of super saver wooden stoves to families and inhabitants of rural communities to discourage indiscriminate tree logging for domestic purposes.
The DG also said that a total of 128 units of solar powered pumps with trolley had been procured and installed for irrigation purposes across the 11 frontline states across the country.
“430 units of solar powered boreholes and motorised boreholes has been constructed with complete accessories by the agency.
“We have constructed and have equipped for off land training, five units of skill acquisition centres and 71 community plant nurseries have been established for seedlings production.
“We have constructed a 14.6 km of rural feeder roads for ease of access and 110 tubewells have been constructed for irrigation purposes,” he said.
Bukar said that no fever than 1,397 youths had been trained engaged as forest guards to protect the agency’s investments.
According to him, 85 units of motorcycles had been procured and distributed for the forest guards patrolling the agency’s investments so as to prevent indiscriminate tree felling.
