Yola – Gov. Murtala Nyako of Adamawa said on Tuesday in Yola that the government had raised over two million tree seedlings to control desert encroachment.

Nyako said this at a programme to commemorate the 2014 Word Environment Day.

He said that climate change and forest exploitation had led to the depletion of several forest reserves in some parts of the state.

“In the interest of protecting our forest reserves and environment, government commissioned the Ministry of Environment to raise two million assorted tree seedlings for planting this season.”

The governor, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Commerce, Alhaji Ahmed Garko, warned the people to stop bush burning and cultivate the habit of planting trees, to check desert encroachment.

In her keynote address, the wife of the governor, Hajia Zainab Nyako, said women organisations had planted over 50,000 Jatropha trees to be used as biofuel.

She said the effort was part of the women’s initiative to eliminate carbon emission.

“Women are not left behind in checkmating desert encroachment and over 50,000 Jatropha trees were planted by Adamawa women group to be used in biofuel production,” Zainab said.

In her remark, Mrs Arziki Sawa, the state Commissioner for Environment, said that the ministry was collaborating private sector participants on waste management.

She said that so far, the state government had restored 13 forest reserves across the state.

Sawa commended the state government for funding the raising of over two million assorted seedlings, noting that the development would stop desert encroachment in the state.

– NAN