Leadership (Abuja)
Philip Nyam
20 November 2008
Abuja — The House of Representatives has pledged its readiness to partner with the Agricultural Development Company (International) Ltd, Israel and the Federal Ministry of Environment under the Desert-To-Food Programme to eradicate the menace of desertification.
Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Hon. Duro Faseyi made the position of the House known while receiving briefs from officials of the ministry on the progress of the Green Wall Project /World Bank project on Tree Planting and Green Wall Sahara. He said the House was concerned about the devastating effect of desertification in the northern states.
About 35 million people in the Northern States are said to be suffering from the effect of desertification.
Hon. Faseyi expressed dismay that the ministry had not been carrying the parliament along in the Green Wall Project, adding that the committee would need to have an on the spot assessment of the project in order to enable it make the required in puts.
The chairman assured the ministry of the committees' preparedness to provide enabling legislative framework and any assistance needed by the ministry to successfully execute the Green Wall Project and enhance tree planting campaign throughout the country.
Briefing the committee on the state of desertification and progress on the Green Wall project, Director of Desertification in the federal ministry of Environment, Mr. Ononina Nkem, accompanied by the Group Coordinator of Agricultural Development Company (International) Israel (Agridev) and Desert -To-Food project, Mr.Emeka Mba, and the consultant, Prof. V.O. Chude, said desertification was posing a serious threat to the nation's economy, food security and employment.
According to him, "what is news is that about 35 million people in northern states in Nigeria are suffering from the effects of desertification".
He noted that the Sahara desert is moving southwards at a rate of 0.6 kilometres per year adding that the rate of deforestation between 1978-1995 alone was about 350,000 ha per annum. According to him, 'sand dune increased from 80,000 ha in 1979 to 480,000 per hectare in 1995. The area of overgrazing increased by about 2,000,000 ha during the same period".
Mr. Nkem said the Desert-To-Food program was the result of a joint enterprise of the federal government and FRAMAN/Agridev explaining that the aim is to create a shelter belt to combat the desertification effects along 1,500 kilometres in the 19 northern states as well as settle population in the peripheral zones.
He said the project is targeted at creating 60,000 new direct work opportunities in 19 pilots within three years and create indirect employment opportunities for two million people.
He further explained that under the desert-to-food project, a project will be established in each of the 19 northern states. 'The pilot is composed of a cluster of villages which will be populated by 1000 families. Most of them shall be employed in agriculture; the rest shall be employed in public services. Each village cluster will consist of an agro-industrial centre for processing of agriculture products, a feed mill and a co-operative of agriculture equipment and administration', he stated.
Agridev was established in 1977 by the government of Israel in order to create an official government entity for the transfer of Israeli agricultural technology, experience and know-how. The federal government is expected to finance the initial stage of the Desert-To-Food project while the international community will come in to assist.
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Your nation is also involved in fighting desertification at its cause: the Typha infestations in Lake Chad and your rivers, with recent successes in Jigawa. Typha is a dessication machine. Each river or lake cleaned is a blow against the desert. To continue the never-ending struggle against the weed requires a profit- which is available in food and fuel. Typha is a top-rank ethanol crop, and when grown in clean water, a very productive food plant. Fight the dryness in your wetlands.