NUJ, Sokoto Sign MoU On Afforestation
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Sokoto State Council with two organisations to boost the afforestation projects in the state.
The project, which is tagged “Go Green Project”, is a partnership with the Shehu Maikoli Foundation and Eco Africa Climate Change Foundation, and is expected to last for six months.
While he addressed a news Conference on Sunday in Sokoto, Malam Dalhatu Safiyal-Magori, the NUJ Chairman, stated that the project was designed to address ecological challenges in the state. He says that Sokoto is one of the states in Nigeria that is prone to ecological problems such as desertification, flood, erosion and drought.
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“The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report has warned that global temperatures need to be kept from rising by more than 1.5°C. However, in Sokoto some of the drivers of the ecological problems includes conditions of high population growth, urbanisation, poverty, poor environmental education and deforestation. This lead to the proposed tripartite partnership as a means of conserving our environment with particular emphasis to climate change vulnerable communities.”
He added that the programme has among its component issues that address health, water and sanitation, environmental awareness and tree planting especially economic trees for nutrition in climate change vulnerable areas, “The project will establish a tree planting and distribution project. This will definitely generate employment and promote the development of forest products through village enterprises,” he said.
Malam Safiyal-Magori further said that the project would include the establishment of orchards in 10 Junior Secondary School and primary schools, and the distribution of tree seedlings to women and households across the communities.
“Our aim is to motivate the society toward becoming more engaged on tree planting and to emphasise that benefits drive from the act cannot be enumerated.”
The MoU was signed under the supervision of Mrs Jamila Anka, the project legal officer; the NUJ Chairman; Alhaji Altine Kajiji, the Chairman Maikoli foundation; and Mr Aliyu Shehu, who is the representative of Eco Africa Climate Change foundation.
SOURCE: NAN
