The Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn-Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, has urged citizens to plant, nurture and protect trees to ensure greener and more resilient Borno.

He made the call when Usman Aliyu, director-general of the Borno State Agency for the Great Green Wall (BOAFGGW), paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

The Shehu officially launched a statewide tree-planting campaign across all emirate councils to combat climate change, desertification and global warming.

He emphasised the need for collective action in preserving the environment and urged communities to take ownership of the initiative by planting and protecting trees in their surroundings.

The BOAFGGW director-general expressed gratitude for the Shehu’s royal blessings and continuous support for environmental sustainability.

Mr Aliyu said that, as a symbolic gesture, a Java plum tree was planted within Shehu’s palace to mark the beginning of the campaign.

According to him, the tree-planting initiative is expected to mobilise communities across Borno to the fight against desertification and environmental degradation.

(NAN)