Determined to ensure the success of its afforestation programs through the planting of protective trees, Gombe State government is to partner with the Forestry Research Institute (FRIN) in order to scale up the 3G target just as it has now become a regional hub for seedlings production and raising.
This was the outcome of a meeting held between Gombe State government led by the Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and the Director-General, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, (FRIN), Professor Adeshola Adepoju, who visited the state in an effort to support the state in its afforestation drive through the Gombe Goes Green initiative which targets the planting of 4 million trees with 27, 000 people employed to nurture them.
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The meeting, which was held in the Governor’s office in Gombe, also discussed areas of collaboration, including technical support, research, training and capacity building with a view to strengthening and scaling up 3G to double its target as well as in supporting the state Ministry of Environment on forest resource mapping and assessment.
Inuwa Yahaya stressed his administration’s readiness to partner with the FRIN in tackling environmental challenges as well as in other aspects of forestry, including forest products utilisation, watershed management and agro-forestry as well as the forestry value chain.
He told the FRIN DG that the choice of Gombe to serve as a regional hub for seedlings production for the afforestation programme is apt considering the centrality and other numerous advantages of the state.
While commending the Federal Government’s plan to commence planting of 25 million trees to combat climate change, Inuwa Yahaya said that his administration has since, initiated measures towards ecological restoration through the 3G initiative, which is now a model for the country.
While speaking earlier, the FRIN DG, Professor Adepoju commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s afforestation drive and assured him of his Institute’s support.
He explained that the support will be through training and capacity building, research and assessment, improvement of forestry value chain using economic trees with reduced gestation periods as well as attracting other international funding to strengthen and improve the 3G and other afforestation projects and programmes in the state as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the Governor.
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