The Federal Government has finalized plans to move the operational headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) from Abuja to Kano State, in a bid to improve efficiency and strengthen field operations.
The relocation will place the agency under the Afforestation Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU) office in Kano, which is expected to serve as a more central base for its activities across Nigeria’s northern frontline states.
The Great Green Wall initiative is an African Union-backed environmental programme involving more than 11 countries, aimed at combating desertification, land degradation and the effects of climate change across the Sahel-Sahara region.
In Nigeria, the programme focuses on states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said the relocation aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and is intended to improve coordination and project delivery in affected regions.
He explained that moving the agency closer to its operational areas would enhance monitoring, strengthen collaboration with state governments and communities, and improve overall service delivery.
According to the minister, since its establishment, the programme has recorded achievements including the development of shelterbelts, installation of solar and wind-powered boreholes, engagement of youth as forest guards, and creation of community orchards to support livelihoods and environmental restoration.
The APCU facility in Kano, which previously hosted the World Bank-supported Arid Zone Afforestation Programme, is expected to provide a permanent and more suitable base for the agency after years of operating from a rented office in Abuja.
Officials said the decision reflects a broader government policy of relocating key agencies closer to their areas of responsibility to enhance efficiency and impact.
The government expressed confidence that the move will strengthen environmental interventions aimed at restoring degraded lands, improving food security and reducing rural poverty across northern Nigeria.
