NEAZDP, FUGA partner to establish 6km shelterbelt to combat desertification

From Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu

The North East Arid Zone Development Programme (NEAZDP) and the Federal University Gashua (FUGA) have strengthened their partnership on environmental sustainability and climate resilience through the Green Code Initiative.
As part of the collaboration, NEAZDP has been allocated a six-kilometre stretch of land along the perimeter fence of FUGA for the establishment of a shelterbelt plantation.
The Programme Manager of the NEAZDP, Dr. Mulima Idi Mato said the shelterbelt is expected to serve as a protective green barrier to reduce wind velocity, control soil erosion, improve microclimatic conditions and help combat desertification within and around the university environment.
Added that the plantation is being developed with drought-resistant and environmentally suitable tree species capable of adapting to the semi-arid conditions of Yobe State.
“The initiative is also aimed at restoring degraded land and enhancing biodiversity.
“Under the Green Code Initiative, each planted tree is assigned a unique code containing information such as the planter’s name, botanical and local names of the tree species, date of planting, and its ecological, economic or medicinal importance,” Dr. Mato stated.
He said the coding system is designed to promote accountability, ownership and long-term monitoring of the trees, particularly among students and staff of the university.
“The partnership also provides opportunities for research, learning and practical engagement in areas including climate change, forestry, environmental management and ecosystem restoration,” he said.
Meanwhile, NEAZDP has completed its tree-planting exercise across the nine Local Government Areas within its operational mandate in Yobe State.
The LGAs are Bade, Bursari, Geidam, Jakusko, Karasuwa, Machina, Nguru, Yunusari and Yusufari.
The exercise was implemented with emphasis on environmental restoration, sustainability and community ownership, with plantation sites carefully selected to ensure proper nurturing, protection and long-term maintenance of the seedlings.
The selected locations include educational institutions, residential quarters, healthcare facilities and individual households, thereby encouraging broad community participation and shared responsibility for environmental protection.
According to the programme manager, the initiative is expected to increase green cover, restore degraded lands, improve microclimatic conditions and contribute to climate-change mitigation efforts across the region.
Beneficiaries and host communities have also been sensitised on the importance of caring for the seedlings and encouraged to nurture them to maturity for lasting ecological and socio-economic benefits.
NEAZDP further encouraged individuals and groups to collect seedlings free of charge for planting in locations of their choice as part of their contribution to environmental conservation and ecosystem restoration.
The collaboration between NEAZDP and FUGA is therefore expected to serve as a model for institutional partnership in sustainable land management, environmental education and climate action in the semi-arid region.