TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to attend the 15th session of the conference of the parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The conference is scheduled for May 9-10, 2022.

In a statement by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, Buhari is expected to leave the country on Sunday to join other world leaders in Cote D’Ivoire for the conference, with the theme, Land. Life. Legacy: From Scarcity to Prosperity’.

According to the statement, the convention aims to take action to on ensuring that present and future generations reap the benefits of land resources.

“To achieve the visionary objective of land restoration and balance, COP15 will bring together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future of sustainable management of one of the most precious assets, land,” the statement reads.

“The convention will explore links between land and other key development issues, which will be discussed during the high-level segment, including a Heads of States Summit, high-level roundtables and interactive dialogue sessions.

“COP 15 is a key moment in the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought.

“Accordingly, it will build on the findings of the second edition of the Global Land Outlook and offer a concrete response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as the world steps into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

“Drought, land restoration, and related enablers such as land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment are among the top items on the Conference agenda.”

Buhari, who is also the president of the Great Green Wall in Africa, is expected to be accompanied on the trip by Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs; Mohammed Abdullahi, minister of environment; Mahmoud Mohammed, minister of agriculture; and Suleiman Adamu, minister of water resources.

Also scheduled to travel to Abidjan with Buhari are Babagana Monguno, national security adviser; Ahmed Abubakar, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency; and Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).