The development of theThe development of theThe development of theThe development of theGreat Green Wall in the SahelGreat Green Wall in the SahelGreat Green Wall in the SahelGreat Green Wall in the Sahel

of Nigeria with some localof Nigeria with some localof Nigeria with some localof Nigeria with some localconstraints in sustainabilityconstraints in sustainabilityconstraints in sustainabilityconstraints in sustainability

Professor Emeritus N. M. Gadzama

Biotechnology Centre, University of Maiduguri,

P.M.B. 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria

Tel: +234803-576-4568; +234805-336-2504

E-mail: njiddagadzama@gmail.com

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

• The purpose of developing the Great Green Wall (GGW)Project is a Pan African proposal in greening the Sahel ofAfrica from Dakar to the East (Djibouti).

• It aims at reducing poverty and soil degradation in thisregion, taking into account the effects of desertificationand climate change on sustainability of livelihoods.

• It also aims at tackling poverty and the degradation ofsoils in the Sahel-Saharan region, focusing on a strip ofland of 15 km (9 miles) wide and 7100 km (4400 miles)long from Dakar to Djibouti.

INTRODUCTION Contd• The concept of a GGW to combat ecological degradation was

conceived in 2005 by the former President of of Nigeria, ChiefOlusegun Obasanjo, and the idea was strongly supported byPresident Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.

• AU’s “decision on the Implementation of the Green Wall for theSahara Initiative” was taken in Januray 2007. By June 2010 thefollowing countries- Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia,Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan signed aconvention in Ndjamena, Chad to implement the GGW.

• AU takes GGW as a special Program, thereby recently upgrading it tothe status of a PAN AFRICAN AGENCY with its Headquarters locatedin Nouakchott, Mauritania and administered by a Director General.

Figure 1: Great Green Wall Sahara Sahel (GGWSS) InitiativeFigure 1: Great Green Wall Sahara Sahel (GGWSS) InitiativeFigure 1: Great Green Wall Sahara Sahel (GGWSS) InitiativeFigure 1: Great Green Wall Sahara Sahel (GGWSS) InitiativeSource: GEF (2013) and FRN/ME (2012)..

THE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION INTHE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION INTHE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION INTHE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION IN THE SAHEL OF NIGERIATHE SAHEL OF NIGERIATHE SAHEL OF NIGERIATHE SAHEL OF NIGERIA

• From the above, it could be seen that Nigeria takes development of GGW in its Sahel region very seriously and the purpose of this paper is to report on the development of GGW in the frontline desert threatened states of the country which occupies some 43% of the land mass of the country in the far northern region bordering Niger Republic.

• This area lies within the Sudano-Sahelian West Africa which stretches from Senegambia to Somalia in the East – a land mass located within Latitudes 10” to 14” N and Longitudes 3o and 14o

east.

THE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION INTHE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION INTHE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION INTHE PROBLEM OF DESERTIFICATION IN THE SAHEL OF NIGERIA ContdTHE SAHEL OF NIGERIA ContdTHE SAHEL OF NIGERIA ContdTHE SAHEL OF NIGERIA Contd

• These States are collectively regarded as ‘frontline states’ which sharecommon boundary with the Sahelian Niger Republic. Indeed the northernborders are all Sahelian environment (Figure 2, Table 1). This zone receivesbetween 200 and 800 mm of rainfall per year.

• Collectively the States have a population in excess of 35 million people. Thefrontline states include Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Jigawa,Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and Adamawa (Figure 1). Desertificationmaps by FAO, WMO and UNESCO in 1977, show significant southwardmigration of Sahara desert estimated at rate of 6km per year.

Figure 2: Desertification frontline States and the buffer zoneFigure 2: Desertification frontline States and the buffer zoneFigure 2: Desertification frontline States and the buffer zoneFigure 2: Desertification frontline States and the buffer zoneSource: Gadzama and Ayuba (2014).

Table 1 Frontline States of Nigeria Affected by Desertification (Census,Table 1 Frontline States of Nigeria Affected by Desertification (Census,Table 1 Frontline States of Nigeria Affected by Desertification (Census,Table 1 Frontline States of Nigeria Affected by Desertification (Census, 2006)2006)2006)2006)

METHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGYMETHODOLOGY

• Many national and international Agencies have participated inenvironmental projects in Nigeria employing different methods formaximum benefits from the objective of the particular project. Theapproach in GGW is to improve the alternative livelihoods of thepeople by their active participation in the implementation of theProject. It is noted that environmental impact assessment orcommunity reconnaissance and needs assessments were initial partof all pre-project activities. It was also noted that ParticipatoryRural Appraisal (PRA) may be more adequate method than RapidRural Appraisal (RRA) in study of inadequacy of environmental andinfrastructural resources to “satisfy basic needs results indeprivation” among rural people. PRA was indeed used here.

THE GREAT GREEN WALL SAHARA SAHELTHE GREAT GREEN WALL SAHARA SAHELTHE GREAT GREEN WALL SAHARA SAHELTHE GREAT GREEN WALL SAHARA SAHEL INITIATIVE (GGWSSI) IN AFRICA INITIATIVE (GGWSSI) IN AFRICA INITIATIVE (GGWSSI) IN AFRICA INITIATIVE (GGWSSI) IN AFRICA

• The program initially is financially supported by the GEF Trust fund ($81.3million) and other relevant UN Agencies ($19.5 million), providing the sum of$108.8 million for the take off.

• Each participating country would contribute by linking national-level effortsacross borders. They will tackle policy, investment, and institutional barriersthat exacerbate the effects of climate change and variability, leading todesertification and the risk of conflicts between communities. InternationalColloquiums are to be held to discuss possible barriers as well as shareavailable knowledge on the vegetal species, systems of development andGGW monitoring updates by the GGW Agency

Participants at the 3rd Session of Heads of States and Governments of PAGGW in NouakchottParticipants at the 3rd Session of Heads of States and Governments of PAGGW in NouakchottParticipants at the 3rd Session of Heads of States and Governments of PAGGW in NouakchottParticipants at the 3rd Session of Heads of States and Governments of PAGGW in NouakchottSource: NAGGW Offi ce in Abuja, and A. Abutu of Daily Trust, Abuja, Nigeria..

Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW)Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW)Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW)Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW)

• Although the main thrust of this paper is to discuss the progress ofthe National GGW (NAGGW) of Nigeria, permit the digression to

appraise the Pan African (PAGGW) progress which is considerable andencouraging. So far, there is increased consultation by member states

through the PAGGW Sessions holding at the Headquarters inNouakchott, Mauritania. At its Third Head of States and GovernmentsSession held in August, 2015 some interesting proposals were madein support of the PAGGW program:

(i) University of Toronto proposal for provision of clean, fresh water for

people and support of agriculture by desalination of piped saline waterfrom Atlantic and Indian Oceans at no cost to the GGW members.

Pan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW) ContdPan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW) ContdPan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW) ContdPan African Agency for the Great Green Wall PAGGGW) Contd

(ii)Presentation by Chinese Academy on the Taklimakan Desert on Chineseexperience in establishing a Green Wall of trees to protect the Tarim Highway threatened by moving sand; the need to explore the possibility of adapting this experience and technology in establishing Great Green Wall of Africa.

(iii) In order to strengthen the operations of the PAGGW, Council of Ministers

recommend the substance of the annual due of 50 million CFA as statutory

contribution of member States.

(IV) Consideration of the Sudan’s proposal to implement a Carbon Bank which could play a great role in financing the GGW. Sudan is to host a high level training seminar for the experts of the member states on the Carbon Bank Proposal. The commitment of Sudan is substantial as she proposes development of one of the longest NAGGW stretch of 1,500kms long and 25 km wide.

The UN Convention on Climate Change COP21The UN Convention on Climate Change COP21The UN Convention on Climate Change COP21The UN Convention on Climate Change COP21 and the PAGGWand the PAGGWand the PAGGWand the PAGGW

• At the recent UN COP21 Convention on Climate Change held in Paris, hadopportunity for consultation on this important Program with President ofFrance- François Hollande; that GGW success would provide improvedlivelihoods to millions of people living in the Sahel; deep concern over thedisappearing Lake Chad with dire consequence on the 2 million people of thesub-region- including food insecurity, insurgency and migration to Europe.

• There was renewed commitment to GGW by African Development Bank, GEF,World Bank, European Union, FAO, UNCCD, France, other partners andAfrican leaders; the funds for APGGW was therefore boosted by US$4 billion.Encouraging reports on GGW were also received:

NATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALLNATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALLNATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALLNATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALL IN NIGERIA (NAGGW)IN NIGERIA (NAGGW)IN NIGERIA (NAGGW)IN NIGERIA (NAGGW)

• For Nigeria, the GGWSSI is community driven in outlook, as all theeleven frontline States (Figure 3), involving 46 LocalGovernments, running from Kebbi to Borno State, covering adistance of 1500 Km long by 15 Km wide would be developed.

• As a rural-based program, the communities are supervised to raise60 million drought-resistant tree seedlings, to be planted for theestablishment of contiguous shelterbelt across the States. Morethan 100,000 people in the rural areas will be employed, besidethe 1000 forest guards and 450 extension workers that will berequired.

NATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALLNATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALLNATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALLNATIONAL AGENCY FOR GREAT GREEN WALL IN NIGERIA (NAGGW) ContdIN NIGERIA (NAGGW) ContdIN NIGERIA (NAGGW) ContdIN NIGERIA (NAGGW) Contd

• As a follow up to the establishment of Pan African Agency onGreat Green Wall (PAGGW), the National Assembly ofNigeria in 2015 passed an Act for the establishment of aspecial National Agency for the development of (NAGGW) inNigeria in consultation with PAGGW.

• The office for NAGGW is located in Abuja, Capital of Nigeriaand a Director General has been appointed for the NationalAgency

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONDISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONDISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONDISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

• The main purpose of this paper is to report on implementationprogress of the GGW in Nigeria; also to consider the developments ofGGW at sub-regional levels of Northwest and Northeast of thecountry. It is with anticipation that this is successfully implemented tomatch the great shelterbelts in Jigawa and Kano States developed inthe 1960s

• Here we would wish to commend the undertaking of the DAILYTRUST News Papers Nigeria for its continued report on the progressof GGW in Nigeria, specially the incisive commentaries of Mr. A.Abutu of the News Paper which immensely contributed to developingthe GGW Project in the country.

Figure 3: Shelterbelt at Danbatta, Kano State. This row of Neem (Arachziridah indica) in Figure 3: Shelterbelt at Danbatta, Kano State. This row of Neem (Arachziridah indica) in Figure 3: Shelterbelt at Danbatta, Kano State. This row of Neem (Arachziridah indica) in Figure 3: Shelterbelt at Danbatta, Kano State. This row of Neem (Arachziridah indica) in combination with gum Arabic trees, provided good wind breakscombination with gum Arabic trees, provided good wind breakscombination with gum Arabic trees, provided good wind breakscombination with gum Arabic trees, provided good wind breaksSource: Gadzama and Ayuba (2014). .

Implementation of the GGW in the Implementation of the GGW in the Implementation of the GGW in the Implementation of the GGW in the North West North West North West North West NigeriaNigeriaNigeriaNigeria

• The launching of GGW in Nigeria was carried out in KebbiState on 14th November 2014 and good progress has beenachieved in the North West. Even before the creation ofNAGGW, Sokoto State had re-enacted a bill for the purposeof desertification control in view of its detrimental effects onthe communities.

• In Sabon Gari Local Government Area (LGA) at UnguwarLalle community for example, 6 km of shelterbelt, 2 hec oforchards and 1 hec of community nursery have beenestablished.

• Elsewhere in the State, other community leaders praised theGGW project as this provides source of water for the peopleand their livestock and improved livelihood. Because of itspopularity, there is already disagreement as to where to sitethe project in Zamfara State.

Implementation of the GGW in the North West Nigeria ContdImplementation of the GGW in the North West Nigeria ContdImplementation of the GGW in the North West Nigeria ContdImplementation of the GGW in the North West Nigeria Contd

• In Katsina State, the GGW sites are located at Ganga (Daura LGA) and Misra(Mai’Adua LGA). Integrated program is being implemented to includeshelterbelts, orchards and water resources. The Executive Governor ofKatsina State, Alhaji. Aminu Bello Masari, is very supportive of NAGGW.

• Implemented under the GGW in the State are 35 boreholes, over 27 km ofshelterbelt, 60 hec of orchard, distributed 42,000 date palm seedlings tocommunities and trained 400 women in various trades and livrhoods. TenLGAs are involved.

• Report on GGW implementation activities in Kano and Jigawa States, wherethe great old beacon shelterbelts of 1960s are located, is currently scanty. It isin Jigawa State that many plant seedlings were planted with good survivalrates in Birniwa and Sule Tankarkar LGAs.

Implementation of GGW in the Implementation of GGW in the Implementation of GGW in the Implementation of GGW in the North EastNorth EastNorth EastNorth East of Nigeriaof Nigeriaof Nigeriaof Nigeria

• The insurgency activity in this part of the country is great impediment forGGW implementation particularly in Borno State; two LGAs of Abadam andMobar are inaccessible due to Boko Haram attacks. However earlier effortsachieved development of 13 km shelterbelt, 4 community orchards anddrilled 4 boreholes.

• The 14,000 forest and 1000 fruit tree seedlings earlier grown had to bedistributed to other locations not under heavy attacks. Should peace prevail,GGW activities would be extended to Ngala and Gulumba LGAs that aregreatly affected by desertification.

• Much progress has been achieved in Bauchi State, particularly the northernLGAs of Katagum and Azare that are prone to drought and desertification.Here the youths have been preoccupied with making vast seedling beds forgrowing multi-purpose plants and creating GGW woodlots and shelterbelts.

Gender Issue and the GGWGender Issue and the GGWGender Issue and the GGWGender Issue and the GGW

• Women are fully engaged in GGW. As observed earlier, women in the Northhad become very keen to participate in anti-desertification efforts as thedegradation of the environment penalises them in the domestic tasks offuelwood supply and water supply, as they also have less access to cultivableland because of reduced availability.

• Women therefore participated in desertification control schemes, and GGWproject on massive scale. The contribution of women in the tree plantingprogrammes of 1980s in Nigeria by the Better Life for Rural Women

Programme was commendable.

Gender Issue and the GGW ContdGender Issue and the GGW ContdGender Issue and the GGW ContdGender Issue and the GGW Contd

• In Nigeria, women have commanding roles as Ministers and Commissionersof Ministers of Environment at Federal and State levels. Indeed, it is a ladyMinister that supervised the launching of GGW in Kebbi State of Nigeria. Thepresent lady Minister, Mrs. Amina Mohammed is a lady of very high profile,having served very ably as CEO of Millennium Development Goals in Nigeriaand recently, Special Assistant to Secretary General of the United Nations.Much is therefore expected of Nigeria’s Ministry of Environment in theimplementation of NAGGW under her leadership.

• It is expected that the GGW will affect women positively. Based on a real lifescene– ‘Growing a World Wonder’ is a film at the African (COP21) Pavilion inParis showing Binta- a young Senegalese girl as she and her family managetheir portion of the GGW, It shows the challenges they faced and how theProject is already transforming their lives for the better; confirming thebenefits in Better Life for Rural Women.

SOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPIDSOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPIDSOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPIDSOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF NGGWDEVELOPMENT OF NGGWDEVELOPMENT OF NGGWDEVELOPMENT OF NGGW

(i)The attacks by Boko Haram and the marauding cattlerustlers constitute major impediments to the Project sinceinsecurity creates unease in commitment to implementation.

(ii) Although labour is available, the cost of training personnelis daunting, especially in unstable economy due to dwindlingvalue of oil in the world market.

(iii) It is challenging to synchronize activities in the large Sahelof Nigeria without compromising quality; therefore moretrained staff and enhanced communication base would bevery necessity.

SOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPIDSOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPIDSOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPIDSOME CONSTRAINTS TO THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF NGGW ContdDEVELOPMENT OF NGGW ContdDEVELOPMENT OF NGGW ContdDEVELOPMENT OF NGGW Contd

(ivI Increase in population in Nigeria is real– 140 million in 2006 and nowestimated as 180 million; exerting more pressure on demand for arableland that is not available; increase in intermittent conflict between landusers – farmers and herders is expected.

(v) Adequate national budgeting for GGW is necessary to sustain thisessential and necessary project for land restoration and sustainablelivelihoods.

(vi) There is the need for close consultation between the National and thePan African Agencies for continuous sharing of information, experience,technology and alignment of activities.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

1. In conclusion, it can be said that GGW is on its way to succeed as it is nowbeing called ‘Growing World of Wonder’ at international level.Implementation of GGW is certainly evoking sense of unity of purpose anddetermination among the governments and the people of the Sahel.

2. The success of the Project should stabilize and slow down land degradationand improve livelihoods, which in turn would reduce migration especially toEurope.

3. Financial support for the sustainability of GGW is both national andinternational with states showing serious commitment. In Nigeria forexample, internal financial resources have been mobilized to matchexternal partner donations to ensure additional resources to achieve visibleimpacts, progress and sustainability.

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