The Federal Government has commenced the 2026 tree planting campaign in Kano as part of activities to mark the fourth Great Green Wall Day, urging the 11 frontline states to strengthen their efforts in tackling desertification and the effects of climate change.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, officially launched the campaign at the headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) in Kano, where he also inaugurated the National Steering Committee for the Scaling-Up Resilience in Africa’s Great Green Wall (SURAGGWA) Project.
With the theme, “The Green Shield: Restoring Landscapes to Silence the Sand and Dust Storms,” the 2026 campaign focuses on restoring damaged ecosystems and protecting communities from environmental challenges.
Addressing participants at the event, Lawal described sand and dust storms as a growing environmental danger affecting northern Nigeria and the Sahel region, noting that the increasing severity of the storms threatens agriculture, public health, biodiversity, infrastructure and livelihoods.
He explained that the Great Green Wall initiative had evolved beyond tree planting, stressing that it now focuses on restoring degraded lands, improving food production, preserving ecosystems and developing climate-resilient communities across the frontline states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.
The minister called on state governments, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders to actively participate in the programme to achieve its objectives.
“Today’s flag-off of the tree planting activities represents more than an annual exercise. It is a renewed national commitment to restore our environment, protect our communities and secure a sustainable future for generations to come,” Lawal said.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government had moved the headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall from Abuja to Kano, citing the state’s strategic importance in the implementation of the initiative. The new headquarters was officially commissioned during the event.
The Director-General of NAGGW, Saleh Abubakar, said the agency had made considerable progress in restoring degraded lands and improving livelihoods in the affected states.
Abubakar revealed that the agency had produced over 48 million indigenous tree seedlings, developed 5,480.88 hectares of shelterbelts, established more than 1,600 hectares of community woodlots, 1,128 hectares of orchards, 990 hectares of Acacia plantations and reclaimed 800 hectares of degraded land.
He added that over 10.8 million drought-resistant seedlings and 869,089 date palm seedlings had been provided to farmers to support agroforestry, while 155 hectares of degraded sand dunes had been restored for agricultural activities.
According to him, the agency had also expanded rural access to clean energy and infrastructure through the distribution of solar home systems, energy-efficient cookstoves, solar irrigation pumps and boreholes.
Representing Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, the Commissioner for Environment, Water and Climate Change, Dahir Hashim, praised President Bola Tinubu for relocating the NAGGW headquarters to Kano, describing the decision as an acknowledgement of the state’s role in Nigeria’s environmental sustainability efforts.
Hashim said the agency’s programmes had contributed to increased afforestation, climate-smart farming practices and improved economic opportunities for rural communities.
He disclosed that Kano State recently received 500,000 date palm seedlings from the agency for distribution to suitable communities, adding that the initiative would enhance food security, create employment opportunities and strengthen resilience against climate change.
The commissioner also stated that Kano had taken steps to address climate challenges through the adoption of a climate change policy, preparation of an implementation plan, progress on a climate change bill and an improvement in its national climate governance ranking from 34th position in 2024 to fourth in 2025.