Yobe Sets 3 Million-Tree Target in Fresh Battle Against Desertification

From Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu

The Yobe State Government has launched a fresh offensive against desertification and land degradation, targeting the planting of three million trees across the state as part of a broader strategy to tackle climate change, protect farmland and improve environmental conditions.

The state government’s Standing Committee on Tree Planting and Other Environmental Hazards, chaired by Deputy Governor Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, announced intensified preparations for the 2026 tree-planting campaign at a high-level meeting held at the Government House, Damaturu.

The campaign is scheduled to begin with a pilot flag-off in Damaturu Local Government Area on August 25, while the remaining 16 local government areas are expected to hold their respective flag-off ceremonies between August 26 and 30.

Gubana described the three-million-tree initiative as a critical intervention in the state’s battle against the growing threat of desertification, drought and land degradation.

He warned that the steady expansion of desert conditions was shrinking agricultural land and worsening competition over available resources, with implications for livelihoods and peaceful coexistence.

According to him, the Buni administration considers environmental restoration a priority and is determined to implement a tree-planting programme capable of producing visible and sustainable results across the state.

The Deputy Governor said the campaign would prioritize drought-resistant and economically beneficial tree species, stressing that the choice of seedlings was crucial to ensuring that the trees survive Yobe’s harsh climatic conditions.

He disclosed that approximately 80 per cent of the required seedlings were already available in nurseries, including Neem, Moringa and Guava, while arrangements were being made to secure the remaining quantity.

The Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa, said the committee had developed a comprehensive strategy to move the campaign beyond ceremonial tree planting and ensure that the trees survive after planting.

Karasuwa identified community ownership, youth participation, regular monitoring, proper maintenance and the use of indigenous tree species as key pillars of the programme.

He also called for stronger collaboration with traditional institutions, religious leaders, community groups and other stakeholders, saying their involvement would be essential to protecting the trees and sustaining the environmental gains of the initiative.

The three-million-tree campaign is expected to restore degraded lands, protect agricultural areas, improve environmental conditions and strengthen Yobe’s capacity to withstand the growing effects of climate change.

Beyond the planting ceremonies, the state government says the success of the programme will ultimately depend on the survival and long-term management of the trees across the 17 local government areas.