The Federal Government has said it will scale up economic tree planting campaign to fight desertification, control climate change as well as provide sustainable livelihood to the people in the country.

Minister for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, while  inspecting viable environmental protection projects executed by the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NGGW), in Gabasawa, Kano State said the President Muhammadu Buhari regime had adopted proactive measures to reduce greenhouse emission through planting of more economic trees.

She said the NAGGW project would invest more on planting economic trees for the benefit of the desert prone communities and the country at large.

According to her, the establishment of woodlots is one of the critical interventions under the NAGGW project, adding that the programme would be replicated in more states across the country.

Mrs Ikeazor said the NAGGW projects were of utmost importance to the Federal Ministry of Environment aimed at combating desertification in the 11 frontline states of the Sahel region.

The aim, she said, was not only to improve the livelihood of the people but to also protect biodiversity and increase national forest cover.

The minister reiterated government commitment towards encouraging development of alternative sources of energy to provide cleaner cooking fuel and discourage felling of trees for fuelwood.

(NAN)