IN its effort to combat the effect of climate change in Nigeria, the Federal Government, on Thursday, announced its readiness to engage members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in environmental protection.
The Director General of Green Great Wall (GGW), Mr. Goni Ahmed, announced this during a courtesy visit to the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, in his office in Abuja.
According to him, the NYSC is expected to create a Community Development Services (CDSand those who are posted to serve in schools are to take the advantage to teach students on the importance of protecting our environment.
He then noted that youth empowerment was part of the role of his agency, adding that the effect of climate change would be addressed, if Nigerians considered planting of trees as a must.
“The agency was established under the Africa Union. Eleven African countries are involve in the project of improving our environment and incidentally, 11 states are affected in land encroachment in the Nigeria also.
Giving the statistics of the food items coming from the areas, he said :”the land area under the directorate desertification is 43 per cent of the total land area. It is in this area where you get most of the livestock and grains such as rice, maize, wheat we are consuming in Nigeria. Also 90 per cent of the vegetables, tomatoes, onions and other crops come out of this areas.
“So, it is a very unique area for Nigeria. Therefore, it is our responsibility to make sure that we protect all these areas and to protect the community because it is now occupying lager percentage of land and it is gradually encroaching other areas.
“It is important for all of us to put our effort towards protecting our environment. That is why we are here because this is where the youths are. One of the roles of Green Great Wall is youth development. So, we want to partner with you because we believe you have the youths in every part of the country.
“They are there in all the villages. We want to partner with you to reach out to communities. Enlighten them, and also go to schools because most of the corps members are teachers. We want them to teach most of these students the importance of protecting our environment.
“Also we want NYSC to take it as a programme in their own activities, especially as part of their Community Development Services to make sure that planting activities are taken on board as part of NYSC contribution towards the protecting our environment.
In his response, the Director General, NYSC, Brigadier General Kazaure said the NYSC would key in into the programme, saying it was a great project.
“If this giant project can be executed, it will combat the effect of the climate change and desertification.
“Coincidentally, I am one of the affected eleven states of federation. I am from Jigawa State. Before now in my father’s farmland, we use to produce 100 bags of grain but today we hardly produce 10 bags of grain.
“So, invariably, it is as a result of this desert encroachment. If you look at the issue of Boko Haram, it is as a result of the desert encroachment. Gentlemen, I am a chemist by profession. We have what we call echo system.
“There is connection between human beings and green plants. The plant will produce oxygen for us and we produce carbon dioxide. When we have excess carbon dioxide than oxygen, it affects our system. It is a great project and I promise you that NYSC family will key into it 100 percent”, he assured.