Why Relocating the Great Green Wall Agency to Kano Makes Strategic Sense

The Federal Government’s decision to relocate the operational headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) from Abuja to Kano has continued to attract support from stakeholders who view the move as a practical step toward improving the implementation of environmental and anti-desertification programmes in Northern Nigeria.

The relocation places the agency closer to the communities and states directly affected by desertification, land degradation, climate change, and environmental challenges that the Great Green Wall Programme was established to address.

The programme, an initiative of the African Union involving more than 11 countries, seeks to combat desertification and restore degraded land across the Sahel-Sahara region. In Nigeria, its activities cover 11 frontline states, including Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, and Adamawa.

Observers argue that Kano is strategically positioned within the agency’s operational zone, making it a suitable location for project coordination, monitoring, and engagement with state governments and local communities. The state also hosts the Afforestation Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU), a federal facility established in 1988, which now serves as the agency’s new operational base.

Supporters of the relocation contend that operating from Kano will enable faster decision-making, improved project supervision, and stronger collaboration with stakeholders involved in environmental restoration efforts across Northern Nigeria.

According to the Federal Ministry of Environment, the agency has recorded notable achievements since its establishment, including the creation of more than 100 shelterbelts, the construction of about 159 solar and wind-powered boreholes, the engagement of 600 youths as forest guards, and the development of 240 hectares of community orchards and woodlots.

The agency is mandated to establish a 15-kilometre-wide and 1,500-kilometre-long Green Wall belt aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability, improving food security, mitigating climate change, and reducing rural poverty in affected communities.

Stakeholders believe the relocation will strengthen efforts to combat desert encroachment and environmental degradation while bringing the agency closer to the areas where its interventions are most needed.