From Umar Alibe, Damaturu
The Yobe State Government has raised three million tree seedlings for the 2026 tree planting campaign as part of efforts to combat desertification, environmental degradation and the effects of climate change.
Governor Mai Mala Buni disclosed this on Wednesday while flagging off the 2026 tree planting campaign in Damaturu. The governor was represented at the event by his deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana.
He said the state government had prioritised environmental protection through the annual raising and distribution of millions of tree seedlings, aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, improving livelihoods and food security, and mitigating the effects of climate change.
According to him, the three million seedlings raised this year include indigenous species suited to Yobe’s climatic conditions, such as baobab (kuka), mahogany (madaci), Parkia (dorawa), tamarind (tsamiya), balanites (aduwa) and moringa (zogale), among others.
He said the campaign would particularly focus on replanting indigenous tree species that are gradually becoming endangered because of years of unsustainable exploitation without adequate replacement.
Buni appealed to residents to actively participate in the campaign by planting and nurturing the seedlings to maturity through regular care and protection.
The governor also highlighted other measures taken by his administration to address environmental challenges, including the establishment of the State Climate Change Council and six weather monitoring stations in Damaturu, Gashua, Machina, Yunusari, Jakusko and Fika.
Buni further said the state was supporting externally funded environmental initiatives, including ACReSAL, ECCAP, the Yobe Sahara Restoration Drive Project and the domestication of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.
He noted that Yobe became the second state in Nigeria, after Borno State, to domesticate the Great Green Wall agency.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa, said the large areas of land affected by environmental degradation and climate change made it imperative for all citizens to participate actively in tree planting.
Karasuwa said the state government had continued to raise and freely distribute millions of seedlings annually, while implementing measures to reduce pressure on trees used as fuel.
He also cited the state’s collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory on the Sahara Restoration Drive project.
Buni directed all local government chairmen to conduct the tree planting campaign in their respective areas from August 26 to 30, 2026.
He said more than 2,000 seedlings had been provided to each local government area to facilitate the exercise.
