The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Sokoto State Council, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two organisations to boost afforestation project in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project, tagged “Go Green Project”, is a partnership with Shehu Maikoli Foundation and Eco Africa Climate Change Foundation, expected to last for six months.
Addressing a news Conference on Sunday in Sokoto, Malam Dalhatu Safiyal-Magori, the NUJ Chairman, said the project was designed to address ecological challenges in the state.
According to him, the Sokoto is one of the states in Nigeria that is prone to ecological problems such as desertification, flood, erosion and drought.
“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 said.
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.
Safiyal-Magori further said the project would include establishment of orchards in 10 Junior Secondary School and primary schools, 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,” he added.
NAN also reports that 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. (NAN)