How Nigeria can attain food sufficiency -Yobe dep. gov.

From Uche Uche, Damaturu.

Yobe state Deputy Governor, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu has said that, Nigeria will only attain agricultural food self-sufficiency if it remained committed to protecting the environment from the devastating effects of desertification.
He noted that desertification results from human interference through felling of life trees and other human activities exerting pressure on the land.
The deputy governor, who stated this during the flag-off of an ongoing advocacy campaign on environmental protection in the state, pointed out that Yobe state has more need of giving serious attention to protecting the environment considering its geographical location in the Sahel region.
“We may wish to note that the greater percentage of the state is semi-arid and arid environment with very scanty vegetation cover which gives little protection to the environment…resulting to desert encroachment, drought, poor agricultural yield, land degradations and siltation of river banks among others,” he said.
According to the deputy governor, this development has very serious negative effect on the livelihood of many communities in the state with the tendency for promoting poverty, retarding agricultural growth and development.
He underscored the need to plant trees and nurture them to maturity.
He called on the local government councils, community heads and traditional rulers and other stakeholders to step up action and give tree planting serious attention in their domains, ensure maximum protection of the environment by planting more trees.
He equally urged them to set up local committees at the grassroots to ensure effective monitoring and supervision of illegal activities of people engaged in indiscriminate felling of trees, ensure enforcement of environmental laws towards achieving compliance with universal best practice.