In commemoration of this year’s World Environment Day, the North East Arid Zone Development Programme (NEAZDP) has donated 2000 drought-resistant tree seedlings to the two higher institutions in Gashua, the headquarters of Bade LGA.
At the ceremony, the programme manager of NEAZDP, Dr Mulima Idi Mato, described the donation as part of NEAZDP initiative to champion climate action through massive distribution of seedlings to higher institutions in the state.
According to him, the exercise was in line with this year’s theme of the world environment day, “global call for climate action”.
He emphasised that the Buni led administration is committed to combating deforestation, desertification and land degradation in the state, pointing out that, tree planting remains one of the most effective and low-cost strategies for restoring degraded land, improving biodiversity and motivating the negative impact of climate change.
Dr Mulima also urged the two higher institutions to ensure that they nurture the seedlings to maturity and to set up trees maintenance committee to ensure that they serve the purpose intended.
Receiving the seedlings, the Vice Chancellor Federal University Gashua, Prof. Yawun Ahmad Geidam expressed appreciation to NEAZDP for the gesture, and described the organisation as people oriented that has concern towards rural development through environmental management.
The Vice Chancellor used the forum to unveil the University’s Green Code Initiative, a visionary project aimed at creating tree-planting competition among members of the university community that would challenge every member to plant and nurture trees to maturity.
In a remark, the Provost, Umar Suleiman College of Education Gashua, Dr Abdulrahman Danladi commended NEAZDP for the timely interventions to combating desertification.
