FG Urges Nigerians to Plant 10 Trees Each as Great Green Wall Launches 2026 Tree Planting Campaign in Kano

The Federal Government has urged every Nigerian to plant at least 10 trees within their environment to support efforts aimed at combating desertification, restoring degraded landscapes and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, made the appeal  in Kano during the commemoration of the Great Green Wall Day, the flag-off of the 2026 National Tree Planting Campaign and the inauguration of the SURRAGGWA National Steering Committee. The event was themed, “The Shield: Restoring Landscapes to Silence the Sand and Dust.”

Lawal said tree planting remained one of the most effective ways of protecting the environment, improving biodiversity and enhancing the livelihoods of communities.

He also called for the enactment and enforcement of laws to safeguard planted trees from indiscriminate felling and destruction.

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Sale Abubakar, said the agency had been mandated to plant more than 20 million seedlings across the country this year.

He added that the relocation of the agency’s headquarters to Kano would strengthen interventions in frontline states most affected by desert encroachment and land degradation.

Representing Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Dahiru Hashim Muhammad, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting environmental restoration initiatives.

The Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented by the Magajin Garin Kano, Alhaji Nasiru Inuwa Wada, also pledged the support of the traditional institution in promoting environmental conservation and protecting planted trees.

Also speaking, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. Hussein Gadain, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to providing technical and financial support for environmental restoration programmes.

Chairman of the NAGGW Governing Board, Sen. Magnus Abe, described the initiative as vital to sustainable development.

The event featured a visit to the agency’s headquarters in Kano, symbolic tree planting and the distribution of motorcycles to enhance field operations.