Desert encroachment in the northern part of the country, Yobe state in particular is fast becoming a source of worry especially among the rural dwellers, Yobe state Ministry of environment has said. 

“We are determined to turn sand in to a basket of food, through one programme we initiated in conjunction with our consultant, Alhaji Ahmad Sarki, the state Commissioner for Environment said recently in Damaturu. 

He said: “Erosion, desertification, and forestation are the factors responsible for rural urban migration in the northern states; Yobe is worse hits by the catastrophe.’’  

He regretted that in Yobe residents of six local government areas, according to reports conducted in conjunction with consultants, are now forced to relocate to neighbouring states while others remain environmental refugees around Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, republic of Niger and Chad. 

He said: “My Ministry is making efforts to convert desert to food; we invited a consultant who promised to introduce a variety of improved date-palm seedlings which have the capability of growing to maturity within eight months as against the traditional date-palm tree that take five years to mature.

The commissioner said the variety have life span of forty years and also convert the desert that threaten the livelihood of the people residing in the local government areas identified as pilot areas in the state namely: Machina, Nguru, and Karasuwa, Yunusari, and that of Yusufari. 

According to him, any beneficiary of the programme is going to be allocated 500 by 500 hectares of land and each benefiting community will get a borehole and a clinic. He said the whole idea was aimed at curtailing the desert encroachment that annually engulfed not less than a six kilometre per annum in the state. 

The commissioner also called on the Federal Government, UN, NGOs, as well as the European Union to partner with Yobe state government in her efforts to make life meaningful to its teaming populace. 

Sarki said drought is eminent at the end of this year’s cropping season particularly in the northern states. “Therefore, my Ministry has already concluded arrangements with relevant Federal Government Agency to embark on assessment tour in all the 17 local government areas in the state,” he said. 

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