The Executive Secretary of the Pan African Agency of the Great Green Wall (GGW) Dr. Ibrahim Said, has said that the project would help constitute, work and bring about corporation for countries to handle environment challenges in the region and also bring different strategies actions plans that would help agency to mobilize resources.
He made this known during the Technical committee of experts of the 8th ordinary session of the council of Ministers of the Great Green Wall, (GGW), members countries was held in Abuja.
Dr Said stated that this initiative is both a challenge and an opportunity, given the multiple environment and ecological issues that are becoming increasingly important and that demonstrate the need for a pooling of resources and joint efforts by countries without which we cannot succeed individually.
He said since inception the agency has focused on the establishment and consolidation of the institutional, legal and organisational bases of the regional and national structures, the development of a strategic framework and implementation action plan and the mobilisation of financial resources.
Dr. Said noted that the Initiative was one of the most ambitious cooperation tools for solving the environment challenges of the Sahelian strip.
He stressed that the overall objective will be to be a decisive step in the operationalization of the Great Green Wall through concrete achievements with high added value and a perfect visibility on the populations and a significant contribution in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Engr. Hassan Musa, said poor financial provision and mobilisation has been a major obstacle to the implementation process of the activities of the Great Green Wall Initiative, (GGWI), in all the participating member states.
“The recognition of the paucity of financial resources for the implementation of the Great Green Wall initiative led to the several billions of US Dollars pledged by a coalition of Technical and Financial Partners (TFPs) at the 4th Edition of the “One Planet Summit” on Climate Change and Biodiversity held in Paris, France on 11th of January, 2021. The pragmatic efforts of GGW member countries to access these financial resources pledged by the (TFPs) required necessary evaluation which I sincerely believe, would be the centre-stage of the deliberation of this technical committee of experts,” he he explained.
He noted that the development of impact and transformative programmes and projects to absorb the mobilized resources would no doubt build the resilience of the Sahelian people.
Also speaking, the Director General of the Great Green Wall, Dr. Yusuf Maina Bukar, said the technical committee meeting of experts was to deliberate on critical items and issues bordering implementation activities of the Great Green Wall.
He said, “I will like to sincerely appreciate your time taken out to attend this statutory technical meeting of experts to deliberate on our accomplishments, challenges and prospects in the implementation process of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI).
The Representative of the Africa Development Bank, AFDB , Mr Arouna Sunmare said the mandate was to support the continent to work for better wellbeing of the people.
