The Kaduna state government Wednesday said it plans to plant about 10 million trees in four years in its afforestation programme in order to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect the environment.
The Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Abubakar Buba, who spoke to stakeholders stated that government had planted about 1.7 million trees last year.
Alhaji Abubakar promised that his ministry plans to double the number of trees that will be planted this year.
“The major challenge of climate change is carbon emission, greenhouse gases and the likes. And the major thing that absorbs carbon dioxide is trees. We expect residents not just to plant trees but to nurture them to grow, not just in the cities but in the suburbs and villages as well,’’ he said.
He commended Governor Uba Sani for initiating what he describes as ‘’greener and cleaner Kaduna state’’, adding that “he is an environmentally-friendly governor.’’
“The governor also mandated us to creatc about 140 kilometers of drainages within the city centres, so as to check flooding during the raining season by easing the free flow of water,’’ he said.
The commissioner further stated that Governor Sani has asked the ministry to dredge River Kaduna and other water bodies within the state so that “the water that will flow into the rivers as a result of our distilling the drainages will be so much that at the end of the day, it will flow back to the people’s houses.’’
Alhaji Abubakar commended the governor for the increased allocation in this year’s budget, adding that he promised substantial implementation of the 2025 budget.
