Sokoto Launches 2025 Tree Planting Drive to Fight Desertification

Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has flagged off the 2025 Tree Planting Campaign at Sokoto New City in Kasarawa, urging residents and local councils to take urgent action against the growing threat of desertification in the state.

Speaking at the event on Friday, Aliyu revealed that the Ministry of Environment had secured thousands of environmental and economic seedlings for distribution across all 23 local government areas. He instructed council chairmen to collect the seedlings quickly and mobilise their communities for planting.

“Sokoto lies in the Sahelian belt, making it highly vulnerable to desert encroachment, which is spreading at an alarming rate. We must act now to curb its impact,” the governor said.

Aliyu cautioned against indiscriminate tree cutting, stressing that every tree removed must be replaced. He also highlighted the religious importance of tree planting, describing it as sadaqatul jariyya (a continuous charity) with rewards that outlive a person.

The governor praised the National Agency for the Great Green Wall for allocating 450,000 date seedlings to Sokoto as part of its national programme to tackle climate change and desert expansion. According to him, the seedlings will be shared through nursery centres in Gundunga, Goronyo town, and Sanyinna, with distribution targeted at individuals, NGOs, schools, mosques, hospitals, and public institutions.