Katsina to plant 11 million trees in four years, says Radda

Katsina State Launches Ambitious Campaign to Plant 11 Million Trees by 2030

The Katsina State Government has rolled out the Katsina-One-Tree Initiative (KT1T), a massive environmental campaign aimed at planting and successfully nurturing 11 million trees across 6,652 designated Climate Intervention Areas over the next four years.

Governor Dikko Radda officially flagged off the project in Ladanawa, Rimi Local Government Area, announcing that the state will begin by planting two million trees in 2026. Operating under the slogan “One Person, One Tree, One Responsibility,” the governor emphasized that the initiative's success will not be judged by how many seedlings are handed out, but by how many mature.

“A seedling distributed is an opportunity. A tree that survives is an achievement. We will not count ceremonies; we will count living trees,” Radda declared.

Combating Climate Poverty

Highlighting the intersection of the environment and the economy, Radda framed climate risk as a direct driver of poverty. He warned that desertification, flooding, and climate change empty granaries, spike food prices, and fuel conflicts over resources, which ultimately drives rural youth away from their communities. By planting trees, the state hopes to shield farmlands from wind erosion, enrich soil fertility, and create new agricultural income streams through fruit and animal fodder.

To complement the afforestation efforts, the governor urged residents to reduce their reliance on firewood and charcoal as harmattan approaches, calling for a statewide shift toward cleaner, more affordable cooking technologies like gas and improved cookstoves.

Structured for Survival

To ensure the trees actually survive, the state has established a rigorous tracking framework. This includes a Central Steering Committee, three zonal monitoring teams, and localized supervisory committees down to the ward level. Government agencies, healthcare centers, and the state's 3,800 schools have all been directed to integrate tree-planting and environmental maintenance into their premises.

National Recognition and Support

Katsina's proactive environmental policies recently earned it the number one spot in Nigeria’s 2025 Sub-national Climate Governance Performance Ranking. The state is also actively collaborating with the Federal Government and the World Bank on ACRESAL interventions to build stormwater drainage and riverbank protections.

Federal backing for the new tree-planting initiative was affirmed by the Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Saleh Abubakar, who represented the Minister of Agriculture. He pledged federal technical assistance and spatial monitoring to track the state's progress and integrate it into national carbon-finance frameworks.

Local leaders, including Rimi Local Government Chairman Hon. Muhammad Ali and State Climate Change Adviser Prof. Al’Ameen Muhammad, also committed to mobilizing grassroots support. They noted the project's potential to generate employment, boost food security, and eventually unlock revenue from carbon credits.

Appealing to the public, civil society, and traditional leaders to take ownership of the project, Governor Radda offered a poignant reminder: “We inherited this land from our parents, but we are borrowing it from our children. Let us return it greener than we found it.”