…Gombe Now Regional Hub For Seedlings Raising, Production
By Ogechi Okorie
Abuja (Precise Post) – Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state has met with the Director-General, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, FRIN, Professor Adeshola Adepoju who visited the state in an effort to support the state in its afforestation drive through the Gombe Goes Green initiative which targets the planting of 4 million trees with 27, 000 people employed to nurture them.
Ismaila Uba Misilli who is the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to Gombe Governor state in a statement on Saturday said the meeting, which held in the Governor’s office in Gombe also discussed areas of collaboration, including technical support, research, training and capacity building with a view to strengthening and scaling up 3G to double its target as well as in supporting the state ministry of Environment on forest resource mapping and assessment.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya stressed his administration’s readiness to partner with the FRIN in tackling environmental challenges as well as in other aspects of forestry, including forest products utilization, watershed management and agro-forestry as well as the forestry value chain.
He told the FRIN DG that the choice of Gombe to serve as a regional hub for seedlings production for the afforestation programme is apt considering the centrality and other numerous advantages of the state.
While commending the Federal Government’s plan to commence planting of 25 million trees to combat climate change, Governor Yahaya said his administration has since initiated measures towards ecological restoration through the 3G initiative, which is now a model for the country.
The FRIN DG, Professor Adepoju commended Governor Yahaya’s afforestation drive and assured of his institute’s support to Gombe state through training and capacity building, research and assessment, improvement of forestry value chain using economic trees with reduced gestation periods as well as attracting other international funding to strengthen and improve the 3G and other afforestation projects and programmes in the state.
