The Katsina State Government says its environmental policies are already positively transforming the lives of residents, driven by a strong partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Faruk Lawal-Jobe, made this known on Wednesday in Katsina at the opening of the 18th National Council on Environment (NCE) meeting.
Lawal-Jobe said the collaboration had strengthened institutional synergy, promoted national cohesion and encouraged the exchange of best environmental practices across the country, adding that environmental sustainability remained central to the state’s development agenda.
“We recognise the critical role of environmental sustainability in achieving economic growth and improving the quality of life of our people,” he said.
According to him, the state government has prioritised initiatives to combat desertification, promote afforestation and protect fragile ecosystems. He disclosed that the Ministry of Environment recently raised and distributed three million seedlings of indigenous economic tree species, which were planted in areas worst affected by desertification.
The deputy governor added that farmers were being encouraged to adopt the Taungya farming system within secured forest reserves to enhance forest regeneration while increasing agricultural productivity.
To improve sanitation and hygiene, Lawal-Jobe said the government procured and distributed mobile environmental sanitation equipment across the state, a move that has contributed to a decline in cholera and other water- and airborne-related diseases.
He further disclosed that statutory ecological funds had been effectively utilised to construct and maintain drainage systems in both urban and rural areas, helping to curb recurring floods and erosion.
Lawal-Jobe also said that to address drought and enhance food security, the state revitalised irrigation schemes and distributed solar-powered water pumps, farm machinery and agricultural inputs to farmers.
He noted that the government had established Community-Driven Environmental Protection Initiatives and created the Katsina State Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (KEWMA) to address environmental challenges associated with the state’s arid conditions.
According to him, the interventions align with the administration’s broader goal of achieving inclusive and sustainable development across all 361 political wards in the state.