Yobe State launches Climate Change Policy 2025 to combat desertification, drought, and environmental degradation across the state

Yobe State Government has unveiled its Climate Change Policy 2025, a strategic framework aimed at addressing desertification, erosion, and environmental degradation across the northeastern state.

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The initiative was launched in collaboration with the Federal Government and the World Bank under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) programme.

Speaking on the development, Governor Mai Mala Buni described climate change as one of the greatest global challenges of the era, with particularly severe impacts on Yobe.

He noted that advancing desertification from the north and worsening gully erosion from the south threaten the state’s agrarian economy, water resources, and livelihoods.

“For Yobe State, increasing droughts, desertification and unpredictable rainfall patterns jeopardise our people and the sustainability of our natural resources,” Buni said.

“This policy reflects our commitment to safeguarding the environment, building resilience among our communities, and contributing meaningfully to global climate efforts.”

The 60-page Yobe Climate Change Policy outlines strategies across key sectors, including agriculture, water resources, urban development, waste management, energy, health, education, transportation, and biodiversity conservation.

Priority measures include enhancing climate-resilient agriculture, accelerating renewable energy adoption, building climate-resilient urban areas, fostering green economic growth, and mainstreaming climate education.

Governor Buni stressed that the policy’s success depends on collective action from government institutions, the private sector, civil society, academia, traditional institutions, and local communities.

The State Commissioner of Environment, Hon. Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa, commended the governor’s leadership, describing the policy as a product of shared vision and cooperation.

He highlighted the establishment of the Climate Change Council on Erosion and Restoration (YOCCCER) and the State Agency for the Great Green Wall, tasked with restoring vegetation, promoting sustainable practices, and reducing the state’s carbon footprint in line with Nigeria’s Climate Change Act 2021.

“The policy will serve as a guiding framework for coordinated climate action across all sectors and communities in Yobe State,” Karasuwa added.

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The launch of the Yobe Climate Change Policy 2025 marks a decisive step in the state’s efforts to combat climate-related risks, restore ecosystems, and protect livelihoods against the twin threats of desertification and erosion.