The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing proactive environmental policies designed to strengthen climate adaptation and mitigation efforts while promoting sustainable development across Nigeria.

Speaking during the 2026 Top Management Retreat/National Tree Planting Campaign in Maiduguri, Borno State, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said the Federal Government remains focused on restoring degraded landscapes, conserving biodiversity and improving the country’s capacity to respond to the growing impacts of climate change.

Lawal identified the Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, as one of the Tinubu administration’s major policy instruments for safeguarding Nigeria’s forest resources. According to him, the order is intended to curb illegal logging while encouraging tree planting as a national responsibility.

The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s readiness to strengthen collaboration with state governments on afforestation, ecosystem restoration and other region-specific environmental interventions. He disclosed that the ministry would continue working closely with Borno State and announced plans to sponsor 20 students from the state.

“Together, Nigeria’s environment future can be secured by protecting natural heritage, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing inclusive and sustainable development for present and future generations”, he stated.

Lawal stressed that environmental protection directly affects the lives of Nigerians, noting that it extends beyond policy discussions.

“Nigeria as a country shares unprecedented environmental challenges, creeping desertification in the North; devastating floods and erosion in the South-East and South-South; oil pollution and gas flaring in the Niger Delta; rampant deforestation; and the escalating impacts of climate crisis.”

He further stated:

“These are daily realities affecting millions of citizens and threatening food security, public health, livelihoods, and national development, and Renewed Hope Agenda has intensified efforts toward building a cleaner, greener, and more resilient Nigeria.”

Highlighting ongoing federal interventions, Lawal said the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project and the National Agency for the Great Green Wall have restored more than 1.14 million hectares of degraded land while supporting the planting of over 1.5 million trees nationwide.

He noted that these achievements reflect Nigeria’s commitment to environmental sustainability alongside economic development.

The minister also praised Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum for sponsoring 540 students at the Federal Colleges of Forestry Resources Management Institute in Maiduguri. He described the state’s environmental achievements as commendable and encouraged governors across the country to sponsor students into Federal Colleges of Forestry Resources Management institutions located in the nation’s six geopolitical zones to strengthen forest education.

Governor Babagana Zulum said the students would remain committed to protecting the environment, addressing climate change, restoring degraded ecosystems and improving the quality of life for residents of Borno State.

He also commended the 20th Shehu of Borno, His Eminence, Alhaji (Dr.) Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi, as well as the people of Borno State, for the warm hospitality extended to the Minister of Environment and his management team during the retreat.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Salihu A. Usman, expressed appreciation to Governor Zulum and the people of Borno State for their hospitality, the successful hosting arrangements and their commitment to environmental sustainability.

Usman said selecting Borno State as the retreat venue carries symbolic significance because it reflects resilience and demonstrates how the state continues to rebuild, innovate and move confidently toward the future despite previous challenges.

Also speaking, the Director General of the Borno State Agency for the Great Green Wall, Amb. Aliyu Usman, said the state has become a national leader in afforestation, climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, ecosystem restoration and sustainable water resources management.

Source: The Guardian