The Borno government has begun planting of 1.2 million tree seedlings to control desertification and mitigate effect of climate change.

Gov. Babagana Zulum said this at the inauguration of the 2023 tree planting campaign, on Monday in Maiduguri.

The governor, who warned against indiscriminate felling of trees, said the state government was targeting to plant 10 million trees in 2024.

“If (tree felling) is left unchecked, we may one day find that the whole of Borno State is a desert.

“We are all aware that we have lost more than 80 per cent of the vegetation in the state to insurgency. All the trees around our communities have been cleared for security reasons and some were cleared for firewood.

“The issue of climate change and desert encroachment has been a great concern to the entire people of the northern states, particularly Borno,” he said.

According to Mr Zulum, the state government will plant five million trees in 2024, adding that each of the 27 local government areas would also plant 200,000 tree seedlings.

Also, the commissioner for environment, Mohammed Kois said that over one million tree seedlings had been earmarked for distribution to the 27 LGAs and other stakeholders for the exercise across the state.

Mr Kois said that some estates and institutions had been identified for planting of 27,000 tree seedlings, adding that the government adopted proactive measures to mitigate flood and other environmental challenges in the state.

Highlights of the occasion include the symbolic planting of tree seedlings by the governor, his deputy and other dignitaries.

(NAN)