By Habibu Harisu
Under the UNDP climate change support programme, 26 youth have volunteered to nurse 250 planted trees in Illela local government area of Sokoto state.
Tagged: “Sahel Youth Eco-brigade Tree Planting Exercise in Border Communities,” is designed to engage youths in environmental conservation and tracking of small arms in sub-Sahara Africa.
The tree-nursing exercise, themed: “Yes to Greening, No to Illicit Arms’’ was inaugurated in schools and residential areas in Illela, a border town shared between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
The coordinator and UNDP programme analyst, Mr Jonathan Madawaki said the project was to encourage youths to be part of safeguarding of communities against environmental degradation and arms trafficking in the Sahel region.
According to him, the project is presently ongoing concurrently in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic.
In Nigeria, the programme is taking place in Illela, Sokoto state and Jibia in Katsina states.
“The pilot project is a UNDP intervention for West and Central Africa affected by climatic changes and security challenges occasioned by small arms proliferation.
“Volunteer youths are empowered with different skills to contribute meaningfully to community development,” Madawaki said.
He added that the UNDP provided watering equipment, manure and other logistics to ensure that the volunteers nursed the planted trees to maturity.
He added that the project was designed to ensure community participation and expressed the hope that it would be expanded to others areas.
In his remarks, the vice-chairman of Illela local government council, Ibrahim Magaji expressed appreciation for the UNDP support, adding that it would enhance peoples’ wellbeing and conserve the environment.
He said that the local government’s agriculture department would supervise the project to ensure its success.
Leader of the youth volunteers, Nura Abubakar said they were engaged on the platform of the Young Peace Ambassadors Group of Illela.
Abubakar noted that they received training on various issues and assured proactive engagements in order to achieve the desired impacts.
Ibrahim Danzaki, a leader at Araba community led other dignitaries to plant trees in schools and in other settlements.
