(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-05 11:41

LAGOS - The World Bank would embark on afforestation program in 12 northern states of Nigeria, an official of Nigerian Forestry Association (NFA) was quoted as saying in Kaduna on Friday.

Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, the president of NFA, was quoted by the official News Agency of Nigeria as saying that the states include Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Borno, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Niger, Sokoto and Jigawa.

The program, which will be jointly sponsored by the World Bank and an NGO, Advance Global Limited, will take off in the 2008 rainy season.

Mohammed, who is also the director of Forestry Resources under the Ministry of Environment, said the program would involve farmers in the states.

He said that under the program, farmers would be paid five dollars for every tree planted in their respective farms.

The president said that after six months, a team would move round the affected areas to take census of the trees planted, while a workshop had already been organized for forestry officers to supervise the commencement of the program.

According to him, five farmers will be selected from five wards in each local government area of the participating states to ensure wider coverage.