The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved the sum of 3.28 million dollars to tackle land degradation in Kebbi under the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) initiative.

Jonah Stanley, the operational focal point for GEF, disclosed this at an interactive session with the federal ministry of environment, NAGGW and Sec Diarra & Sages Consult Group on Wednesday in Abuja.

GEF is a multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, among others.

“The project, aligned for Nigeria, is to be carried out by NAGGW; recently, GEF approved 3.28 million dollars to deal with dry lands, land degradation and ecosystem regeneration in Kebbi,’’ Mr Stanley said.

Mr Stanley, who is also the director, planning research and statistics in the ministry of environment, said that GEF was a funding mechanism that supported more than 185 countries around the world including Nigeria in dealing with environmental issues.

He said that Nigeria had benefited from GEF over the years.

According to him, the support comes in circles, adding that Nigeria is now in GEF 8 circle which started in 2022 and will last until 2026.

On his part, Prof. Robert Yougbar, representative from Sec Diarra & Sages Consult Group, said the target of the funds was to get the land restored and community resuscitation.

In his remark, Saleh Abubakar, director-general of NAGGW, assured that the project would be executed with the funds.

Also, Dr Innocent Alenyi, acting director, planning policy and coordinator, NAGGW, commended the establishment of the agency to tackle deforestation and land degradation.

He said that civil societies were key to the success of the agency’s initiatives in the country.

(NAN)