The Kano State Gov
ernment plans to produce one million assorted seedlings this year, as part of renewed efforts to check desert encroachment in some parts of the state.
The state Afforestation Project Coordinator, Alhaji Ali Dauda, said this in an interview with newsmen in Kano.
Dauda said the seedlings would be produced in designated nursery centres located across the state.
He said the inputs would be distributed free of charge to farmers and other interested individuals to plant in their respective farms and places of abode.
“The plan to produce this number of seedlings is aimed at checking desertification particularly in areas that are prone to threats of desert encroachment,’’ he said.
According to him, the nursery centres are situated in Danbatta; Bichi; Gaya; Karaye; Bunkure; Dawakin Kudu and Takai local government areas as well as at the Project Monitoring Unit in Kano metropolis.
In addition, the project coordinator said, the state government would establish an eight kilometer shelter-belt at Sabuwar Kasuwa and Danbatta a long Kano-Katsina and Kano-Babura roads, respectively.
He disclosed that a total of 460 women would be trained on efficient stove usage, also to check desertification.
He said the training would soon be conducted and was aimed at discouraging the use of trees as firewood for cooking, particularly by rural dwellers.
Dauda said after the training each woman would receive a stove and pot in addition to N4,000 as training allowance.
“The whole idea behind the training is to stop rampant felling of trees for use as firewood,’’ he said.
“In addition, government plans to train 300 women on modern bee keeping techniques as part of an empowerment programme under the project,” he said.