The Federal Government has commended Kano state government, under the leadership of governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for its sustained efforts in tree planting and environmental restoration, describing the state as a national model in the fight against climate change.
The Minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting Kano’s initiative to reclaim green areas across the state, expressing satisfaction with the progress of ongoing environmental projects during his inspection tour of intervention sites in Kano metropolis.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal made the commendation on Thursday during the commemoration of the 2026 Great Green Wall Day, the formal handover of office accommodation to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), the flag-off of the 2026 Tree Planting Campaign, and the inauguration of the National Steering Committee for the Scaling-Up Resilience in Africa’s Great Green Wall (SURAGGWA) Project.
Speaking at the event, the Kano State Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahiru Muhammad Hashim, described the relocation of the National Headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall to Kano as a historic milestone in Nigeria’s environmental and climate agenda.
Dr Hashim expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the relocation of the Agency’s headquarters to Kano, assuring the Federal Government of the state’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for the Agency to effectively discharge its national mandate.
The Commissioner noted that the relocation strengthens collaboration between the Federal Government and Kano State in restoring degraded landscapes, combating desertification, and improving livelihoods across Northern Nigeria.
He commended the National Agency for the Great Green Wall for its contributions to Kano through afforestation programmes, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land management initiatives, and livelihood support for women, youths, and vulnerable households. He also acknowledged the Agency’s recent donation of 500,000 date palm seedlings to Kano State, describing it as a strategic intervention that will boost food security, create employment, and strengthen resilience to climate change.
Highlighting the achievements of the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Dr. Hashim said the state has adopted a Climate Change Policy, completed its Climate Change Implementation Plan, advanced the Kano State Climate Change Bill, and improved its national climate governance ranking from 34th in 2024 to 4th in 2025.
He added that Kano planted three million tree seedlings in 2024 and expanded the programme in 2025 by producing 5.5 million seedlings, with more than five million trees planted across schools, public institutions, communities, and strategic locations. The state has also restored over 50,000 hectares of degraded land through major landscape restoration projects, including erosion control, shelterbelt development, avenue tree planting, orchards, agroforestry, and community-led restoration initiatives.
Dr. Hashim described the SURAGGWA Project as a timely intervention that will further expand landscape restoration, climate adaptation, and sustainable livelihood opportunities. He assured the Federal Government, the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and other development partners of Kano State’s readiness to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
He reaffirmed Kano State’s determination to work closely with the Federal Government and development partners to make the state a national centre of excellence for landscape restoration, climate resilience, and sustainable environmental management.
