Plans are at advanced stage to commence a massive tree-planting campaign in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna state, following the LG’s mandate as one of the beneficiaries of the United Nation’s clean stove project, aimed at discouraging the use of charcoal and firewood for energy in the country.
The Lere LG Boss, Honourable Abubakar Buba, just back from the just concluded 11 day UN Climate Change Conference – which held in Madrid Spain – told NATIONAL ACCORD in a chat that Kaduna state’s presentation at the 2019 Conference, tagged COP 25, was applauded by environmentalists at the event, thereby strengthening Kaduna’s resolve to intensify the campaign against climate change at the sub national level.
While disclosing that Kaduna’s well received presentation bordered on afforestation and livestock farming, Buba enthused: “It was a successful outing. A good number of individuals and groups expressed willingness to partner and assist the state in its renewed efforts to fight climate change frontally.
“We opted for livestock and afforestation because afforestation is about planting more trees and protecting those in existence. It also helps in mitigating carbon emission which affects livestock farming; besides eliminating crisis between farmers and herders. It also has potentials of improving the state’s economy through jobs and wealth creation by way of taking advantage of the value chain”, Buba explained.
He added: “As a state, I am very optimistic that the presentation at conference which was enlightening, would no doubt attract donor funds and grants to the state. Kaduna as a sub national was represented by a team led by a commissioner and this was the second time we are participating. We were also part of COP 24 last year. We are using one stone to kill two birds because the twin issues of afforestation and livestock farming would go a long way in sanitizing the environment”.
The chairman believes that livestock farming creates a colony of livestock in one place by providing schools and essential amenities needed for the host communities, with the objective of reducing the menace of clashes between herders and farmers to barest minimum.
Buba maintained that given the Madrid experience, “we are angling for more funding to compliment our pilot scheme for the livestock colony, while afforestation is a project for the entire state”.
While appealing to the global community to reduce the bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with access to funds, he disclosed that Kaduna as sub national has pushed for a grant through the African Development Bank which he said, “picked interest because the grant is currently being processed and all things being equal, it would soon be released”.
He summed up: “Lere Local Government Council has taken unprecedented steps towards reducing felling of trees for energy and the efforts are yielding fruitful results. We are beneficiaries of UN Clean Stove Project. Already, a plant for production of clean stoves for the hinterland is functional in Saminaka, the council headquarters. This would eventually reduce the hazard of smoke on the health of our people, especially women”.
