Bauchi Govt Engages Stakeholders in the fight against desert encroachment, others

By Mohammed kaka Misau, Bauchi

The Bauchi state government has organised a 1-day stakeholders meeting in order to fashion out ways of fighting desert encroachment, deforestation, erosion and flooding across the state.

Speaking during the meeting Thursday, Governor Bala Mohammed of the state, said the meeting is to seek for active participation of stakeholders in the implimentation of programmes towards addressing environmental challenges.

Bala noted that the traditional institution and other stakeholders at the grassroots are critical partners in assisting the state to implement its policies and Programmes regarding environmental issues.

Our Corresspondent reports that the initiative is under the Bauchi State FGN/AfDB Supported Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program (BSDLEIP).

Governor Bala who was represented by the Commissioner of Housing and Environment, Honorable Hamisu Mu’azu Shira, said his administration is working with the State House of Assembly to come up with a bill that will address identifiable environmental challenges.

The governor who expressed delight over the initiative which he described as timely, appreciated the partnership between the Bauchi state government and the African Development Bank (AFDB).

He said, “because of our good working relationship with development partners, Bauchi will soon benefit from a new project which will contribute significantly in reducing and controlling environmental challenges”.

Governor Bala directed the 20 local government chairmen to work assiduously in the implementation of the action plan, pledging his government’s resolve to freeing resources to enable the state overcome the numerous challenges affecting its progress and development.

On his part, the Director General, Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), Dr Ibrahim Kabir said the meeting was conducted under the collaboration of African Development Bank (AFDB) and the Bauchi state government.

He said that the state government through the BASEPA is partnering the AFDB in order to face the environmental challenges of desert encroachment deforestation, desertification, erosion, among others.

Dr. Kabir said that the target of the Agency is to see how the existing trees would be protected and how to engage the Communities and all the stakeholders to work towards planting more trees across 20 local governments of the state.

“We have gone round across the 20 local government areas of the state where we engaged the LG Chairmen and the traditional institution where we agreed that we are going to establish Plant nursery units across the 20 local government areas”, the DG said.

“After that, we came back, we analysed, we sent letters to them, asking for a space that we are going to establish those nurseries, they later sent to us, and now we feel we have to sit down together, raise all the issues from their own experiences to see how we will collaborate”, he added.

Dr. Kabir appealed to the participants to be agents in the control of environmental challenges by giving their inputs in the formulation of environmental policies.

Stakeholders which include traditional rulers, LG Chairmen, officials of forestry, among others asked questions and gave suggestions on the way forward towards winning the battle against desert encroachment, deforestation, erosion and other forms of environmental challenges in Bauchi state.