By; IBRAHIM ADAMU, Kaduna
In its resolve to checkmate the spread of desert and its accompanying hazards, Kaduna State Government has planted over 150,000 wind breaker trees across the state’s northern borders.
The tree-planting was carried out through a committee named Taskforce on Implementation of Shelter Belt inaugurated last year by Governor of the state, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, chaired by Idris Muazu Ibrahim.
Mr Ibrahim explained that if fully completed, the tree planting project would provide adequate shelter zone needed to protect the state from hazards of the sahara desert Encroachment into the state which he said had overwhelmed most part of northern Nigeria.
He said the state government had set a target of planting three million trees covering 310 kilometers long and 500 meters wide covering all local governments in the state bordering Kano, Katsina, Niger, Zamfara and Plateau.
He explained further that the committee had chosen to commence the project with Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kudan, Makarfi and Ikara Local Government Areas of the state due to enthusiasm and enormous cooperation the committee got from community heads and locals of these local governments.
Mr Ibrahim listed some benefits of the Shelter Belt to include; protection against desert Encroachment, providing green covers, reducing air pressure on farmlands and homes, increasing oxygen in the atmosphere and increasing fertility of the soil among others.
