The National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) has said relocating its headquarters to Kano will improve accessibility and speed up delivery of its afforestation programmes, the director general, Saleh Abubakar, has said
Abubakar disclosed this during a high-level management visit to the Afforestation Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU), Kano, as part of preparations for the relocation exercise.
The DG said the relocation followed a directive from the Presidency through the supervising minister, adding that the move would enable the agency to operate closer to the frontline states benefiting from the Great Green Wall programme.
“We are here to officially take over and report to the office here. We have been directed by the Honourable Minister, through the Presidency, to relocate to the Kano Operational Office, from where we will be working henceforth,” he said.
According to him, the Kano office has remained a strategic operational centre for the agency, noting that he had consistently used the facility for official engagements before the relocation directive.
Abubakar, who expressed satisfaction with the condition of the office after an inspection, said the facility was ready to accommodate the headquarters, with only minor renovations, furnishing, and the provision of office equipment required.
“We have been in the office together with you, and you have seen how the office is. It is very good. It is a very strong edifice,” he stated.
He added that the relocation would improve coordination, accessibility, and the agency’s response time to environmental challenges across the frontline states.
“The frontline states should expect quicker reach, easier access, and more active participation from the head office, which is going to be here rather than Abuja. We are going to be here fully operational,” he said.
The NAGGW boss also revealed that the agency had secured funding support through its partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations, with projects expected to be implemented from Kano.
Meanwhile, Abubakar warned land speculators against selling portions of the agency’s property, insisting that the land remained government-owned and would continue to serve its intended purpose.
“Whoever buys a piece of land here is on his own. This is government property. Nobody is going to sell government property while it is in use,” he warned.
