Governor Zulum unveils free gas cylinders for 23,700 teachers, environmental vanguards as Borno launches 4m-tree campaign
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has unveiled an ambitious clean-energy and environmental restoration initiative involving the distribution of 23,700 free cooking gas cylinders to teachers and environmental vanguards across the state’s 27 local government areas.
The initiative, which includes refill vouchers for beneficiaries, is designed to reduce dependence on firewood, curb deforestation, improve household health and strengthen Borno’s environmental resilience as the state continues its post-conflict reconstruction and recovery efforts.
Zulum announced the programme on Thursday in Maiduguri at the 2026 National Tree Planting Campaign and the distribution of clean cooking stoves and gas cylinders, where the first phase of the intervention was launched.
Under the initial phase, 5,000 cooking gas cylinders and clean cooking stoves will be distributed to teachers and environmental vanguards in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area. Beneficiaries in the remaining 25 local government areas will receive the equipment in subsequent phases.
The governor said the programme would go beyond the distribution of the cylinders, with beneficiaries also receiving vouchers to enable them refill their gas through designated vendors.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at tackling the twin challenges of energy poverty and environmental degradation by providing practical alternatives to firewood use.
“This initiative will significantly reduce dependence on firewood, improve household health, protect our forests, reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life of thousands of families across our communities,” Zulum said.
He added that the state government would extend the programme to teachers in other local government areas, stressing that environmental restoration remained central to the administration’s rebuilding agenda.
“As we reconstruct communities affected by conflict, we must equally restore the ecosystem that sustains the communities. Sustainable peace and sustainable development cannot flourish in a degraded environment,” he said.
The governor commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to environmental sustainability under the Renewed Hope Agenda, while also acknowledging the contributions of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu to the promotion of a greener Nigeria.
He further praised the Federal Ministry of Environment, its agencies and development partners for supporting efforts to build a climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable Borno State.
Flagging off the national tree planting campaign, the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, described Borno’s approach as a model that combines tree planting with practical alternatives to firewood.
The minister said the provision of clean cooking alternatives was critical to the success of environmental protection efforts, noting that removing thousands of households from dependence on firewood would significantly reduce pressure on forests.
“I want to say here that this is the first time I have seen tree planting getting connected with alternatives. The Governor is giving you alternatives. He is giving out 5,000 clean cooking stoves to our teachers. That’s the starting point. If you can remove 5,000 people from using firewood, it is a great achievement,” Lawal said.
He disclosed that four million seedlings were being planted as part of the campaign, adding that more than 20 million trees had already been planted across Borno State.
The minister described the achievement as commendable and pledged efforts to encourage other states to adopt similar measures.
Lawal called on governments at all levels, schools, faith-based organisations, the private sector, youth and women’s groups, as well as citizens across the country, to embrace tree planting as a civic responsibility.
The campaign, he said, was not merely an environmental exercise but a national investment in the health, livelihoods and future security of generations yet unborn.
For Borno, the combined rollout of clean cooking alternatives and the planting of four million seedlings signals a broader environmental strategy in which reconstruction is being pursued alongside ecological restoration, with the state seeking to rebuild communities while protecting the natural systems on which their long-term survival depends.
