In this interview, Etim William, Director of the Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Management Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment, the factors contributing to the degradation of Nigeria’s rangelands and how desertification, land degradation and drought are worsening farmer-herder conflicts and threatening food security across major agricultural hubs in the country.
Excerpt:
PT: What does your department do?
Mr William: Going by the name of the department — Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Management — our mandate is to combat desertification, address land degradation by restoring degraded lands, and manage drought. Those are the mandates of the department.
PT: In commemoration of World Desertification and Drought Day, what does the ministry hope to achieve? What is the aim and objective of the event?
