By Funmi Olasupo

 Abuja – The‎ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ‎of the European Union (EU)  has said it had committed the sum of 200 million Euro to boost the Great Green Wall (GGW) Programme in Nigeria and  five other African countries.

 The gesture followed the just concluded COP 21 in Paris, and the interest of international donors to assist West African countries in the continues implementation of GGW Project in the Sahara and Sahel region.

 Addressing newsmen at the ongoing Technical Great Green Wall Workshop on Restoration Regional for West Africa  in Abuja, the FAO Forestry Officer (Dry Lands) Nora Berrahmouni said the  E200 million program is majorly funded by the European Union.

 The fund according to her, is a technical support that will really make sure that resources are used in the best manner with the best methodologies to reach local communities.

 Berrahmouni said, “This is a program of 20 million Euros that is funded by the European Union involving 8 countries, 6 GGW countries from Africa are Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Senegal and Ethiopia, one country in Caribbean which is called Haiti and the other one in the pacific.

 “This workshop is what we call the Regional Great Green Wall Technical Restoration Workshop; it’s a workshop that was organized in support of the involving GGW countries in West Africa to share experiences and discus technical issues related to restoration, find solutions to boost the implementation of GGW program in these countries.

 In his remark, Nigeria’s Minister of State Federal Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Jubril said that one of the major objectives of the workshop is to strengthen the technical capacities of the GGW member Countries towards actualizing the vision of the Great Green Wall Programme.

 He commended the FAO, EU and African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) countries for the initiative considering the fact that Nigeria is now at a critical phase of combating land degradation and improving the livelihoods of the affected people in the Sahel-Saharan Region of Africa through the Great Green Wall Initiative.

 On the achievement made so far in the 11 frontline states in Nigeria, Director General, National Agency for Great Green Wall Programme, Ahmed Goni said the agency has been able to accomplish, among others, within the short period of time the establishment of 415km Shelter belt; 135ha community wood lot; 235ha community orchard; and 138ha community vegetable garden.

 “We have been able to also train over 5000 farmers In Natural Regeneration and Farm Forestry Construction of about 156 solar and wind powered boreholes as sources of water for the affected people and their livestock .engagement of over 500 unemployed youth as forest guards, construction of 5 Skill Acquisition Centres for the training of unemployed youth and women.