Gombe goes green, targets planting four million trees in four years

Four million trees are expected to be planted across Gombe State in the next four years out of which over 13, 000 have so far been planted within Gombe metropolis in a pilot project tagged ‘Gombe Goes Green’ (3Gs) to beautify the ecosystem of the state.

The project is said to have a major component of creating shelterbelts in four Local Government Areas in the Northern part of the state which is mostly hit by desertification and soil erosion.

The scheme, an initiative of the Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s administration, is aimed at tackling the environmental challenges in the State which is not only limited to desertification but also gully erosion problems, especially within Gombe metropolis, the State capital.

Preparatory to the official launch of the four million tree planting scheme by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, one Million trees are expected to be planted every year.

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Already, eleven Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have been recruited to commence the work in eleven sites across Gombe Local Government Area in accordance with international best practice.

Apart from tackling environmental challenges of the state, the 3G’s programme will also employ about 27 thousand youths, who will be paid N7,500 each month to nurse and watch over the trees as well as make sure they survive.

With the approval of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the first component of the project already going on, involves the planting of the trees in residential areas, public places and schools as well as sensitization campaigns to residents on the need and benefit of tree planting.

It would be recalled that Governor Inuwa Yahaya had recently vowed to embark on massive tree planting in the state as a strategic measure to counter the tragedy of desertification and flooding which pose threats to the lives of residents in various communities as well as infrastructures like roads and bridges in the state.