KANO — The Kano State Government has strongly opposed any attempt to convert parts of the historic Afforestation Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU) complex in Jambulo into private residential or commercial plots, describing the move as contrary to public interest and a threat to environmental sustainability.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Dahir M. Hashim, made the government’s position known on Friday while addressing journalists in Kano.
Hashim explained that the APCU complex, established in 1988, remains a vital environmental institution that has served for decades as a centre for coordinating afforestation programmes and training forest guards and other forestry personnel across the country.
He expressed concern over reports that portions of the facility had allegedly been allocated to private interests, alongside efforts to remove federal environmental agencies currently operating within the complex.
According to the commissioner, the property should not be regarded as abandoned government land, particularly following the relocation of the operational headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) from Abuja to the Jambulo facility.
“The Kano State Government respects the authority of the courts and will not interfere with the judicial process. However, any attempt to convert this strategic environmental facility into private residential or commercial plots is against the overriding public interest,” Hashim stated.
He stressed that the APCU complex plays a significant environmental role, noting that its mature trees contribute to reducing urban heat, improving air quality, preventing soil erosion and preserving biodiversity.
Hashim warned that fragmenting or destroying the green area would lead to the loss of vegetation that has taken decades to establish, with long-term consequences for environmental conservation efforts.
The commissioner called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to review the reported allocation of parts of the property and take the necessary legal steps to safeguard the entire complex.
He also urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to maintain its opposition to any attempt to alienate the facility and to pursue all available legal measures to preserve it for public use.
Hashim reaffirmed that the Kano State Government is ready to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and the Afforestation Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU) to ensure the protection of the facility.
He maintained that environmental assets belong to the public and should continue to serve national environmental objectives rather than private interests.
“Our position is clear: public environmental assets must remain in public service,” the commissioner said.
Kano Rejects Plan to Convert Historic APCU Complex into Private Estate, Vows to Protect Environmental Facility
