Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, has appealed to the African Development Bank (AfDB) for financial support to strengthen the activities of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW).
Lawal made the request during a bilateral meeting with AfDB President, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The NAGGW was established to combat land degradation and desertification, enhance food security, and help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change across 11 frontline states, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa.
The minister highlighted the agency’s role as Nigeria’s focal point for the African Union’s Great Green Wall initiative, which seeks to restore degraded ecosystems in the Sahara and Sahel. He noted that the agency is also pursuing a clean cooking policy to reduce deforestation and protect rural women and children from health risks caused by firewood use.
“We are fencing the Sahelian part of Nigeria to check desertification. I urge the AfDB to extend its support to the Great Green Wall project, which directly addresses environmental degradation and promotes afforestation,” Lawal said.
In a related appeal, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Ahmed Dangiwa, called on the AfDB to assist in tackling Nigeria’s housing deficit. He stressed that housing is a critical sector with high investment returns and urged the bank to support affordable housing projects nationwide.
Responding, AfDB President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah assured that the bank would continue to partner with Nigeria to accelerate development. He emphasized that under his leadership, the AfDB would function not just as a lending institution but as a catalyst for mobilizing global capital to transform key sectors, including agriculture, housing, and human capital development.