Borno state governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has launched a clean energy initiative aimed at reducing deforestation and promoting environmental sustainability through the distribution of 23,700 free cooking gas cylinders to school teachers and environmental vanguards across the state’s 27 local government areas.
The programme, which also provides beneficiaries with refill vouchers, was unveiled on Thursday during the 2026 National Tree Planting Campaign and Distribution of Clean Cooking Stoves and Gas Cylinders in Maiduguri.
Governor Zulum said the first phase of the intervention would involve the distribution of 5,000 gas cylinders and clean cooking stoves to teachers and environmental vanguards in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere local government council. He added that the remaining beneficiaries in the state’s other 25 local government areas would be covered in subsequent phases.
He explained that the refill vouchers would enable recipients to replenish their cylinders through designated vendors, ensuring continuous access to clean cooking fuel.
According to the governor, the initiative is expected to reduce dependence on firewood, improve household health, lower carbon emissions and help preserve Borno State’s forest resources.
Zulum reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to extending the programme to all eligible teachers across the state, describing environmental restoration as a key component of Borno’s post-conflict recovery and development agenda.
He stressed that rebuilding communities devastated by insurgency must be accompanied by the restoration of degraded ecosystems, noting that sustainable peace and development cannot be achieved in a degraded environment.
The governor also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising environmental sustainability under the Renewed Hope Agenda and praised First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu for supporting initiatives aimed at promoting a greener Nigeria.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Federal Ministry of Environment, its agencies and development partners in advancing climate resilience and environmental sustainability in Borno state.
On his part, the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawan, commended governor Zulum for integrating clean cooking alternatives into the state’s environmental conservation efforts, describing the initiative as an innovative approach to tackling deforestation.
Lawan said replacing firewood with clean cooking gas would significantly reduce pressure on forest resources and lauded the state government’s commitment to environmental protection.
The minister also flagged off the 2026 National Tree Planting Campaign, announcing the planting of four million seedlings across the country. He said the seedlings, provided through partnerships with various stakeholders, would support afforestation and strengthen climate action efforts nationwide.
He further praised Borno state’s environmental achievements, noting that more than 20 million trees had already been planted across the state, and expressed optimism that other states would emulate the initiative.
Lawan urged governments at all levels, educational institutions, faith-based organisations, the private sector, youth and women’s groups, as well as other Nigerians, to embrace tree planting as a collective responsibility toward protecting the nation’s environment for future generations.