COP28: Niger Govt seeks partnership with NDDC, others on afforestation
By Tom Okpe
The Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has sought the partnership of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) to plant trees as a means of tackling climate change.
The Governor made this known at an event organized on the sidelines of the ongoing COP-28 Climate Summit in the United Arab Emirates.
Bago urged the NDDC to join in the crusade of planting trees, according to his Chief Press Secretary, ( CPS) Bologi Ibrahim in a statement on Sunday.
He said: “Afforestation would check the high emission of green house gases.
“Niger State has 76, 000 square kilometers of arable land, which serves planting of trees, as efforts towards balancing the ecosystem.
“In addressing climate change issues, it’s critical to address three areas to include the root causes, its impact an way forward.”
He said Nigeria understands its importance on the African continent and in the world and cannot be taken for granted.
“The country has woken up to the realities to understand that global warming is reality,” expressing readiness of the country to combat global warning.
“I am really happy to be part of this auspicious occasion.
READ ALSO: Emefiele: Nigerians in US Raise Alarm Over Human.
“When the MD of the NDDC spoke, he spoke very well. Now in undertaking climate change there are three very important levels. One, the root causes which was explained very well, the exploration of oil and also flaring of gas.
“The second issue is the impact of that activity to humanity and environment and the third one, I am sure, you would have enumerated is what I would help you to do, which is the way forward.
“I am from Niger State. It is 76, 000 square kilometers of arable land. It has two major rivers flowing through, it has four hydro-powered dams, and the land is arable.
“Now that we are here, we need to encourage the NDDC to join in the crusade of planting trees to balance the ecosystem.
“When you spoke about carbon credit, one of the advantages is planting trees. Where you have high emission, the ecosystem is affected.
“Now where you have low emission and you have plenty reserve of land, what we need to do is to make sure we increase our capacity in afforestation.
“Secondly, to also prepare us to understand the challenges of agriculture, land preparation, so, the companies who are in this exploration should come in as a corporate social responsibility in making sure that we afforestate our land and reduce emission.
“When you do that, you change alternative source of energy, instead of fossil fuel, we come back to green fuel or blue energy,” the statement added.
