Nigeria's Federal Government is calling on citizens to plant trees on a massive scale to fight desertification and climate change.
Saleh Abubakar, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, made the push in a message marking World Environment Day 2026.
His appeal backs President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's environmental sustainability drive. The focus is on tackling desert creep, restoring damaged land, and building climate resilience across Nigeria.
World Environment Day falls on June 5 every year. It's the United Nations' biggest platform for raising awareness on environmental issues globally.
This year's theme is "Now for Climate" or "Inspired by Nature. For Climate.
For Our Future." Abubakar urged Nigerians to step up and take action in their communities.
He called on citizens to embrace sustainable practices immediately. Individual efforts, he stressed, matter in the fight against environmental degradation.
NAGGW will ramp up tree planting drives across the country. The agency's also pushing agroforestry and community empowerment schemes to strengthen climate resilience in vulnerable areas.
Eleven northern states remain on the frontline of desertification. They are: Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
Restoring these degraded landscapes isn't just about the environment. It'll boost food security, create jobs, and lift living standards for millions, Abubakar noted.
Last year, NAGGW launched an ambitious campaign nationwide. They aimed to plant 50 million date palm seedlings across the frontline states to reverse desertification.
Date palms serve multiple purposes beyond land restoration. According to him, they strengthen local economies and improve nutrition in households.
"Planting fruit trees like date palms restores degraded land but also strengthens local economies and improves household nutrition," the NAGGW boss noted.
Trees play a critical role in fighting climate change. They absorb carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen, which reduces greenhouse gases and slows the Sahara's southward march.
Abubakar's message is clear: Nigeria must act now. Mass tree planting isn't optional—it's essential for the nation's environmental and economic future.
