Nigeria Assuming Leadership of PAGGW Good Omen–Hassan
The Director General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall, NAGGW, Dr. Bukar Hassan, has expressed belief that having President Muhammadu Buhari and Bar. Sharon Ikeazor as Chairmen of two bodies in the Pan Africa Agency for the Great Green Wall, PAGGW, portends good omen.
Hassan, made this known in his address while welcoming Dr. Ibrahim Said, Executive Secretary of PAGGW, who paid a working visit to Nigeria on Thursday.
He spoke at the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja.
Buhari and Ikeazor, Minister of State for Environment, mid last year emerged as the Chair of Heads-of-State, and Chair of Council of Minister of the PAGGW, respectively.
They thereafter took over and assumed office in October 2021.
According to the NAGGW Director General, having President Buhari and the Environment Minister at the helms of affair in PAGGW means a lot.
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He said having taken over office, Mr. President and Ikeazor participated in an inaugural meeting last December, to know what the PAGGW Secretariat has done, been doing and intends to do, in order for them to have a better understanding of issues.
In her remark, Bar. Ikeazor, reiterated Buhari’s commitments in supporting the PAGGW to provide the Great Green Integrator programme with its own financial instruments, and to the recommendation of the 4th session of Conference of Head of States and Governments of the PAGGW.
“In this regard, the Secretariat must ensure the technical and financial viability to operationalize these recommendations.
“This will form part of President Buhari’s roadmap in providing purposeful leadership towards addressing land degradation, climate change, deforestation, food security, desertification, and biodiversity in Africa, within the two years of his tenure,” she said.
On his part, Dr. Said, disclosed that Egypt, Cameroun, Ivory Coast and several other African countries have formally indicated interest to be part of their PAGGW.
He urged member countries of their PAGGW who are defaulting in paying their membership due to do, saying the arrears of due unpaid of member countries has risen to 8 billion US dollar.
“There is no way the activities of PAGGW will be executed properly without finance,” he added.
