By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) has revealed that the proposed UNEP- GEF Assisted Integrated Dryland Ecosystem Rehabilitation, Regeneration, and Conservation (IDERRCN) Project* in Kebbi State.
The Project is aimed at curbing deforestation and other environmental challenges exacerbated by climate change in the North West.
The Agency made this known when the Director General/CEO, Saleh Abubakar, MFR, with management staff of the Agency and representatives from Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), paid a courtesy visit to the Kebbi State Governor – Dr. Nasir Idris.
The visit was intended to mobilize the support and partnership of the Kebbi State Government to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
The IDERRCN project, is designed to restore approximately 2,500 hectares of degraded land, rehabilitate and conserve for biodiversity enhancement, an additional 3,000 hectares through improved and sustainable land use practices.
Speaking during the visit, Abubakar represented by Alhaji Ahmed Majidadi Bagudo, Director, Afforestation and Land Management of the Agency, explained that the project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will be implemented across fifteen communities within five Local Government Areas in the State: Arewa, Augie, Argungu, Bunza, and Dandi.
Abubakar commended the collaboration between UNEP, GEF, and NAGGW for bringing the IDERRCN project to life, describing it as a timely response to the region’s pressing environmental needs.
He further noted that NAGGW has expanded its activities within its own catchment area, adding that Kebbi State stands to benefit immensely from the implementation of the activities of IDERRCN Peoject.
He urged Kebbi State Government to complement the efforts of the Federal Government through a counterpart contribution. He Emphasized that the project will be community driven but would be closely monitored by officials from the State Government, the National Project Coordinator, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure transparency and impact.
In his response the Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, expressed appreciation to the NAGGW for the noble initiative, describing it as a bold and strategic move towards sustainable ecological restoration and rural development in the State.
He thanked the Agency and development partners for selecting the five ecologically vulnerable Local Government Areas for intervention, stating that the government recognizes the project’s potentials to transform lives and landscapes across Kebbi State.
He further reaffirmed the State’s unreserved readiness to support the project and confirmed the government’s commitment to issuing a Project Commitment Letter as an endorsement of full collaboration. Senator Tafida also announced that the State would allocate suitable land parcels in the identified LGAs for restoration and demonstration purposes.
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