Inaugurating the exercise on Saturday in Gangan Village of Shagari Local Government, Alhaji Sagir Bafarawa, the state Commissioner for Environment, appreciated the group for the initiative.

“This is a very commendable initiative, as such will be an effort toward complementing the state government’s programme of planting two million seedlings across the state to support the environment.

“The tree planting programme which has a very long historical value will continue to remain one among the priority activities of the present administration in the state.

“Moreover, our collective effort in sustaining the programme will enhance the quality of our environment to address encroachment and provide enabling atmosphere for the society,” he said.

Bafarawa thanked Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for ensuring a better environment for the people of the state, while urging individuals and other associations to join hands with the government in ensuring the success of the initiative.

The state Commissioner for Energy, Alhaji Aliyu Balarabe, advised the benefitting community to always take full responsibility of the trees planted.

“This is a gesture to support you and your children as well as your environment to protect and enable a healthy atmosphere for your own development.

“So I personally advise all of you to take the responsibility of ensuring these plants are alive and are able to grow in order to serve the purpose for which we planted them,” he said.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal on SDGs, Alhaji Kabiru Aliyu, described the tree planting programme as a collective responsibility of the society.

He gave an assurance of the state government’s commitment toward ensuring the success of the global SDGs agenda in Sokoto State.

Earlier, the group’s Chairman, Alhaji Umar Musa, said that the tree planting was initiated to support some villages in Shagari, Silame and Goronyo LGAs of the state.

The Shagari Local Government Sole Administrator, Alhaji Dandi Ango-Shagari, said the gesture would surely aid government’s commitment toward addressing environmental challenges.

Ango-Shagari pledged that the community would maintain the plants properly.