KANO (SUNDIATA POST)- The National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) has called for a more impactful and inclusive approach from stakeholders to address climate crisis in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NAGGW, Dr Yusuf Maina- Bukar, made the call at a two-day North-West Stakeholders’ Forum in Kano.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised by the agency to enhance synergy with stakeholders in combating environmental challenges.
Maina-Bukar, who was represented by the Director, Resource Mobilisation, Alhaji Safiyanu Yavana, said that the engagement would help in combatting desertification, deforestation and restoration of degraded lands.
The director-general said that the agency would partner states and local governments, civil society organisations, community leaders, youths, women groups and person with disabilities in achieving their goals.
He also called for a more impactful and inclusive approach from stakeholders to address climate crisis in Nigeria.
According to him, the stakeholders’ forum is devoted to the priority theme of challenges and achievement in the implementation of the agency’s goals.
“The aim is to upscale the linkage between multi-level sectors and indigenous stakeholders for mainstreaming synergy that would help combating desertification, deforestation and restoration of our degraded lands.
“The forum is also aimed at laying the ground for a successful historic outcome.
“The forum will also bring together experts, government officials, NGOs, community leaders, participants from relevant sectors to foster common ground on the implementation of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI).’’
According to Maina- Bukar, the agency has the core mandate to combat land degradation, desertification and improve the resilience of affected communities to the impact of climate change.
“The agency has embodied this spirit of partnership and collaboration amongst stakeholders to ignite common resolve to eradicate climate change challenges through the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
“In doing this, there is need to realise that it is time to make a concerted push in assisting the agency to take stock and accelerate the process of meeting its mandate.
“And this can be accomplished when we come together and join forces,” he said.
Some of the stakeholders, who spoke to NAN, applauded the foresight of the agency for organising the forum.
They also said that it would go a long way in fine-tuning modalities of addressing environmental challenges.
The theme of the workshop was “Building Multi-Stakeholders Responsiveness in the Implementation of the Great Green Wall Programme in Nigeria.’’
Participants were drawn from the North-West geopolitical zone. (NAN)
