Nigeria’s Great Green Wall Project, under the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), which aims to restore 100 million hectares of land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million jobs by 2030; has received a boost following the approval by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to establish the Forest Guards.
According to a statement by the Federal Ministry of Environment, President Tinubu, while approving the establishment of the Forest Guards, also approved the immediate employment of these Guards to secure the 1,129 forests in the country. These forests provide food and water security, habitat for wild plants and animals, and a reason for residents to stay in a region beset by drought and poverty.
The statement also revealed that President Tinubu also directed that “the forest guards are to be well trained and armed to perform their duties, which is essentially to flush out terrorists and criminal gangs hiding inside the forests for criminal activities. This recruitment is a security collaborative effort between the federal and state governments. “
Thousands of young Nigerians are expected to be employed as Forest Guards and the President has directed the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Ministry of Environment to take charge and ensure full implementation.
Apart from checking the destruction of the flora and fauna in the forest, the establishment of the Forest Guards is expected to check terrorists, bandits, and other criminal gangs operating inside the forests.
