President Muhammadu Buhari has left for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, to attend a United Nations organized conference on the future of land, regarding desertification, drought, degradation, rights, restoration and implications for national and world economies.
The President, who will participate in a Summit of Heads of States and Governments, from May 9th to 10th, 2022, joins world leaders for the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties, COP15, of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD, with the theme“, ‘Land. Life. Legacy: From Scarcity to Prosperity.”
A statement by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, says the convention aims to take action to ensure that land, the lifeline on the planet, continues to benefit present and future generations.
To achieve the visionary objective of land restoration and balance, COP15 will bring together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society, and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future of sustainable management of land.
The convention will explore links between land and other key development issues, which will be discussed during the high-level segment, including a Heads of States Summit, high-level roundtables and interactive dialogue sessions.
COP 15 is a key moment in the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought.
The statement explains that the summit will build on the findings of the Second Edition of the Global Land Outlook, and offer a concrete response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as the world steps into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Drought, land restoration, and related enablers such as land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment are among the top items on the Conference agenda.
President Buhari, who is also the President of the Great Green Wall in Africa, will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, Minister of Agriculture, Dr Mahmoud Mohammed, and Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.
Also, on the President’s team to Abidjan are the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno, Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, and Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri- Erewa.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Military for the incessant onslaught and for not showing any let up as they continue to achieve positive outcomes in their current operational trajectory in the northwest, particularly Zamfara State, which has been a hotbed of criminal activities.
In a statement, the President notes that while there appears to be relative calm in the state, with situations returning to normal in most parts and the rural communities ready to live their lives normally again, there had been several breaches, especially in view of the bandits’ attack on Damri, Sabongarin Damri and Kalahe villages in Bakura Local Government Area, and lately, Maradun, where a number of casualties were recorded.
Bello Wakili