By Ibrahim Kado
Dukku (Gombe State) – The Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) in Gombe State, on Tuesday solicited for the cooperation of four local government areas toward successful planting of economic trees.
Mr Bala Nayaya, the state Coordinator of the agency, made the call during a sensitisation visit to Dukku, Funakaye, Kwami and Nafada Local Government Areas of the state.
Nayaya said that the trees planting would check desertification.
He said that NEWMAP needs seedlings to be planted in the 20 hectares of land allocated for the project in each of the four councils.
The coordinator said that the trees would be of tremendous assistance to people in the council areas.
“We want to plant 80 hectares of trees in the four local government areas under the World Bank intervention to address the problem of desertification and gully erosion,” he said.
Nayaya advised the management of the councils to submit documents that would serve as link between them and the NEWMAP at all times for the success of the programme.
According to him, the agency will sink a borehole to supply water for the growth of the seedlings.
He said that the agency would also construct fences round the plantation to prevent animals from eating the seedlings.