12 November 2009
Abuja — THE Federal Government has promised to actively engage states and local governments in the country in the implementation of the national afforestation programme of President Umaru Yar Adua.
Minister of Environment, John Odey, gave the assurance yesterday when he received the Governor Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi of of Zamfara State in his office.
According to the Minister, the national afforestation programme was designed by the president as a major sustainable development programme to alleviate poverty and combat the problem of desert encroachment in the country.
He said to have a nation-wide success for the programme, the states and local governments must key in for the overall benefit of the country, adding that the afforestation programme would also go a long way in helping Nigeria's efforts at combating climate change.
The Minister said Nigerians must be well sensitised to imbibe the culture of tree-planting so that we can collectively help in reducing greenhouse gas emission.
The governor told the minister that his state was willing to collaborate with the Federal Government in enhancing sustainable environmental management in Nigeria and noted that he was in the ministry to explore how the Federal Government and Zamfara State could work together to meet the goal of the afforestation programme.
He said his administration had made sustainable environment a key development policy in the state in view of the topical nature of the impacts of climate change.
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