April 3, 2018

About 4.54 million trees have been planted and maintained in Katsina State under the Improved Fuel Wood Balance project supported by the European Union (EU).

The Project Manager, Dr Chris Udokang said the initial target was to plant 5.5 million trees.

He said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Daura that 70 percent of the trees had survived.

According to him, a regeneration of another 1.5 million trees is currently going on while new round of nursery activities have commenced on March 1.

He said that the trees were planted in Daura, Zango, Mai’adua, Baure, Mashi, Dutsi and Sandamu Local Government Areas to improve fuel wood balance and prevent desertification.

The official explained that seven motorised boreholes were drilled in each of the seven community nurseries to water the plants, and provide water for human and animal consumption.

He said that the programme has covered 55, 000 farmers and 41, 248 households, adding that 160,000 hectares out of the targeted 97, 072.12 hectares of land had been covered.

The manager added that multi-purpose stove production centres were established in the local government areas, which had produced thousands of cooking stoves distributed to local people, to reduce illegal felling of trees.

He said the organisation has organised capacity training workshops for NGOs, porters, marketers, women and  youth groups on sustainable tree management.

NAN reports that FUWOBA is a sustainable, impact-filled community driven and income generating rural-based climate change afforestation support initiative.