Experts demand women, youth inclusion in fight against desertification in northern Nigeria

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Environmental experts have called for the inclusion of women, girls, and youth in solutions to combat desertification, warning that ignoring their role means tackling only half the problem.
They made the call during a one-day virtual Expert Training on Desertification in Northern Nigeria. The experts stressed that empowering women to adapt, lead, and steward land and water resources multiplies the impact of every intervention.
Executive Director of Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF), Comrade Sani Baba, said climate change has caused rising sea levels, coastal erosion, gully erosion, and loss of forest cover and biodiversity. “We make bold to say we are under assault,” he said. “If we take the situation in about 14 northern states where the Sahara continues to march downwards, this workshop is timely.”
He explained that desert encroachment affects nearly 45% of Nigeria’s landmass in the North. Affected states include Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara, with studies showing the region loses about 350,000 hectares of land annually.
According to him, Lake Chad has declined from 25,000 square kilometers in the 1960s to less than 1,500 square kilometers today. “This decline did not only affect space; it has affected livelihoods of over 40 million people who were fisherfolk and farmers. The region is now experiencing dwindling or no rainfall,” he said. He added that overgrazing and intensive farming further worsen desert encroachment.
Sani said millions in Northern Nigeria suffer crop failures, water scarcity, and farmer-herder conflicts. He noted that government interventions have had little impact and the issues are under-reported, limiting policy action. To reverse this, CFSF has trained community activists and veteran journalists to produce robust reports that pressure government into concrete action.
Trustee, Community Based Initiative for Growth, Azizat Adangba, said desertification is not just environmental. “For millions of women in Northern Nigeria, it is also an economic crisis, a health crisis, a food security crisis, and a social welfare challenge,” she said. She noted that drying water sources force women and girls to travel longer distances daily, leaving little time for productive work. “No desertification strategy is complete without a deliberate, resourced gender lens embedded from design to evaluation,” she added.

Chair, Socialist Workers League, Ayemhenre Kelvin, described desertification as a labour, economic, and social justice issue. He listed natural factors, human factors, and political economic drivers as causes. He said workers face higher costs for food while wages stagnate, forcing migration to cities where jobs are scarce. Rising temperatures also worsen conditions for outdoor workers in construction, transport, and manual labour.

Executive Director, Center for Transparency Advocacy, Faith Nwadishi, described desertification as a livelihood, food, water, peace, and governance issue. She said Northern communities need restoration, adaptation, and fair resource management, and that women, girls, youth, farmers, pastoralists, and vulnerable groups must be part of decision-making.

Founder, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Philip Jakpor, urged journalists to focus on societal impacts. He said desertification stories should cover affected people, the immediate environment, and economic losses, including the shrinking of Lake Chad, while avoiding despair, sensationalism, and ambiguities.