The Sokoto State Government has announced plans to plant one million trees across strategic locations this year as part of its ongoing efforts to combat desertification, land degradation, and the effects of climate change.
The disclosure was made by Alhaji Mustapha Bello, Director of Forestry at the Ministry of Environment, during a sensitization exercise to commemorate the 2025 World Desertification and Drought Day on Wednesday in Sokoto.
Bello, who highlighted the vital role of trees in human survival and environmental conservation, called for collaborative efforts at all levels to promote tree planting and nurturing.
Caution against indiscriminate tree felling
He cautioned against the indiscriminate felling of trees for human activities and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to protecting existing trees and expanding shelterbelts across the state.
“The Ministry has made arrangements to plant one million trees this season and is determined to support tree planting initiatives in schools and other institutions,” he stated.
Bello added that more investments have been made to curb desert encroachment and tackle other climate change challenges through partnerships with both international and national agencies.
According to him, climate change mitigation strategies were strengthened at all levels in the state to ensure coordination and harmonious activities.
Bello explained that land degradation, drought, desertification, and their impacts on the environment and human livelihoods had become pressing issues of global environmental concern that required urgent attention.
The director said that land degradation was both a cause and a consequence of climate change.
In his presentation, Dr Abubakar Gumi, from the Department of Plant Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, dwelt on the causes, impacts, spread, and attention needed to prevent desertification.
Gumi said the dangers of environmental degradation were enormous and required collective efforts from individuals, groups, and institutions.
Land restoration as a solution
He explained that land restoration offered a powerful solution with the potential to limit climate change and achieve sustainable development goals.
According to him, increased awareness, a call to action, and other collective efforts were desirable to save the environment.
Gumi called on the residents of the state to plant trees to combat climate change and refrain from activities that aggravate drought and desertification.
What you should know
Sokoto State has steadily advanced its commitment to environmental restoration and climate resilience through large-scale tree planting initiatives. In 2016, the state, under Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, launched a major afforestation campaign that saw the distribution of one million tree seedlings, including moringa, baobab, mango, neem, and eucalyptus across all 23 local government areas at no cost to residents.
The goal was to curb desert encroachment and mitigate the growing impacts of global warming.
By 2020, the government expanded this effort, doubling the target to two million seedlings. This scale-up aimed to deepen public awareness about the role of trees in combating drought, land degradation, and the broader threats of climate change.
Further demonstrating its environmental commitment, the state government committed N1 billion to the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) initiative.
Through this project, Sokoto implemented extensive land and forest restoration measures, including the planting of 7,000 hectares of moringa trees, the enrichment of 500 hectares of forest land, and the rehabilitation of 1,300 hectares of water sources.
