NEWMAP-EIB, Great Green Wall Forge Stronger Ties on Watershed Management, Degraded Land Restoration

NEWMAP-EIB, Great Green Wall Forge Stronger Ties on Watershed Management, Degraded Land Restoration

By: Michael Mike

The National Project Coordinator of the Nigeria Climate Adaptation – Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB), Engr. Ayuba Yalaks has a courtesy visit to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NGGW) to deepen collaboration in watershed management, combat land degradation, and promote environmental sustainability.

During the visit, Engr. Yalaks congratulated the Director General of NGGW, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, MFR, on the successful hosting of the 10th Anniversary of the Great Green Wall, recently observed in Dutse, Jigawa State. He described the anniversary as “highly impactful and a strong testament to the agency’s leadership role in environmental restoration.”

He commended the DG and the agency for initiating a five-year strategic plan to plant date palm (dabino) trees across the NGGW’s shelter belt corridor of the sahel — a project designed to enhance livelihoods, strengthen food security, biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, green jobs, food security and ensure a long-term sustainability and developing resilience of the impacted communities along the belt.

He further eluded to the fact that the “Great Green Wall is not just a Wall of Trees across the Sahel but a Wall of Hope, Security, Green jobs opportunities, Economic growth, and peace”.

Highlighting NEWMAP-EIB’s mandate, Engr. Yalaks noted that the project — funded by the European Investment Bank with a five-year lifespan — is dedicated to climate change adaptation, erosion control and flood management, and watershed management. He stressed that the NGGW remains a key partner in advancing Nigeria’s vision for a green environment, green jobs, and a green economy in line with Mr. President Renewed Hope Initiatives for an improved and better green environment for the betterment of the Nigerian people.

“ As a green project, We provide bioengineering solutions to protect and sustain the civil engineering infrastructures we have put in place. Much of the erosion and flooding we battle today is manmade, caused by human quest for livelihood, and that of poor urban town planning and deficit in urban drainage infrastructural investment. With the increase in the rate to which our forest cover is being degraded and ever rising temperature, the depletion of the ozone layers our rainfall pattern becomes disrupted. Therefore, reversing this trend is critical and called for collective action” he said, which the current government regime is tackling head-on today with the NEWMAP=EIB intervention project.

Engr. Yalaks also encouraged the NAGGW to invest more in research and development, focusing on how planted trees — such as Neem, date palm etc — can generate value chain, including solutions for managing post-harvest losses, herbicides and pesticides, soil fertilizer, pharmaceuticals etc. This will provide ownership and sustainability of the NGGW across the Sahel Region of the Nigerian corridor.

In his response, the Director General, NGGW, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar, MFR appreciated the visit and pledged continued collaboration with NEWMAP-EIB. Both parties reaffirmed their shared vision and commitment to tackling watershed challenges, restoring degraded lands, and building a sustainable and resilient environment for the benefit of Nigerians across the Sahel.

The NPC was accompanied on the visit by all FPMU Specialist Staff, and in attendance with the DG, NGGW was some top management staff of the agency.

NEWMAP-EIB, Great Green Wall Forge Stronger Ties on Watershed Management, Degraded Land Restoration