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Desertification: UN Moves To Reclaim Nigeria's 350,000 Landmass Lost Annually

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

                            Amina Mohammed 

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed has promised to support Nigeria in reclaiming the 350, 000 landmass lost to drought and desertification annually. 

Nigeria is estimated to be losing over 350,000 hectares of land out of 909,890 km² of landmass and 13,879 km² of water area to desert encroachment and drought. 

This amounts to $6 billion annually, that are lost to desertification in the 11 Frontline states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states that cut across the North East and North West region of Nigeria. 

The frontline states, with a projected population of over 54 million and 394, 000 landmass are worst hit by desertification.

Mohammed was a former Minister of Environment, with a proven record of programmes and policies initiated in the environment sector before her appointed into the UN family. 

At a courtesy visit to the Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi in Abuja, the UN scribe harped on the need to set-up a team that would critically analyse the problems hindering the successful implementation of the Great Green Wall, GGW and HYPREP projects. 

She noted that GGW project is an economic corridor that was created to bolster empowerment among the youth and women, and not designed for conflicts. 

The UN scribe pleaded with government agencies, parastaltals and other relevant stakeholders to support the ministry towards the effective implementation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation  Project, HYPREP and GGW programmes, 

BOblog reports that HYPREP was established in 2012 to restore lands impacted by oil in Ogoniland and other oil-producing States, while GGW was launched in 2007 by the African Union to restore degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in the Sahel region. 

Mohammed commended the minister for his commitment in addressing the environmental crisis and implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Abdullahi said that the ministry is working assiduously to implement HYPREP and GGW programmes, adding that the UN’s intervention would boost the ministry’s efforts.

“You have always been there for us and we still have hope that you will continue to give us your full support,” he said.

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