I remember travelling to Sokoto for the first time and being struck by how arid the land was - you could see far into the distance, and only see sand. I understand it wasn’t like that decades ago. Desertification is the result of climate change and global warming effects in that part of Nigeria. Although there have been several campaigns urging communities to plant more trees as a means of mitigating desertification, it doesn’t look like these campaigns have been very successful. On the other hand it might just be that the trees being planted cannot keep up with the rate of those being felled. Tackling the root of the problem, which is finding an alternative to firewood energy for cooking is the approach adopted by SIFE in Katsina State. Sokoto State may soon benefit from a similar approach.
