The National Agency for the Great Green Wall, NAGGW, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, in the Netherlands with GROASIS B.V and Boplas Industries Limited Nigeria on the production of ‘waterboxx’ in Nigeria.
A statement issued by Pauline Sule, NAGGW’s Head, Information and Corporate Communications Unit NAGGW on Sunday in Abuja, said the MoU was signed on April 14.
The statement said: “The Groasis waterboxx is an innovation adopted to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Great Green Wall planting activities in the 11 frontline field operational areas of the Agency.
“The waterboxx is an Ecological water saving technology that has proved its effectiveness in enhancing tree survival, increasing growth speed and reducing the amount of water being used to plant millions of trees in 55 countries around the world.
“NAGGW has expressed its interest by keying into the advanced technology on irrigation method for implementation in its Great Green Wall programmes,” She said.
“Adoption of the waterboxx innovation by the NAGGW management led by the Director-General Dr Yusuf Maina Bukar shows the Agency’s seriousness in reforming the process of planting through new innovations, technologies and strategies that will ensure sustainability and competitiveness.
Mrs Sule said that the MOU signed would be a tripartite agreement that would accelerate Nigeria’s Tree Planting campaign in the Great Green Wall, GGW, belt.
She added that It would boost economic activities, create thousands of new jobs and ultimately reposition the Agency to achieve its mandate of transforming the GGW belt into an economic hub.
“The Groasis waterboxx technology as an advanced irrigation method will enhance the survival rate of seedlings and trees in Sahel and Sahara dryland areas by 90 per cent.
“Accelerate and provide more sustainable agriculture in the NAGGW tree planting campaigns by reducing carbon footprints released in the environment.
“Bring about job creation as the production of the waterboxx will be done in one out of the 11 frontline states of the Agency and transfer of innovative solutions to other African countries,” She noted.
Mrs Sule said that the MOU has the potentials to expand the initiative to other Pan- African countries of the Great Green Wall.
“Nigeria is the first Pan-African Agency for the Great Green Wall member country to adopt the innovation as policy as the country continues to lead the Pan-African Agency for the Great Green Wall and its agenda in Africa,” Mrs Sule added.
