The Kano State Government has opposed plans to convert the historic Afforestation Programme Coordinating Unit (APCU) complex in Jambulo into private residential or commercial property.
The government maintained that the facility remains a strategic public environmental asset that should continue to serve its original purposes of conservation, afforestation and related activities.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Dahir Hashim, said the state was particularly concerned by reports that parts of the property had allegedly been allocated to private interests.
Hashim made the remarks on Friday while briefing journalists in Kano, where he reiterated the state government’s opposition to any private takeover of the APCU complex.
The commissioner also raised concerns over alleged attempts to displace federal environmental agencies operating from the facility, warning that such actions could undermine its longstanding environmental purpose.
He described the APCU complex as a significant federal environmental facility established to coordinate afforestation programmes and train forestry personnel.
According to him, the facility has served those purposes for decades and should not be treated as abandoned government property.
“The APCU complex was established in 1988 and has, for decades, served as a centre for coordinating afforestation activities and training forest guards and other forestry personnel,” Hashim said.
He further noted that the relocation of the operational headquarters of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) from Abuja to Jambulo had reinforced the strategic importance of the facility.
Hashim said the state government recognised the authority of the courts and would not interfere with ongoing judicial proceedings concerning the property.
However, he maintained that any move to convert the complex into private residential or commercial plots would be contrary to the broader public interest.
“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,” he said.
The commissioner also highlighted the ecological value of the complex, particularly its mature trees, which he said help reduce heat, improve air quality, control erosion and sustain biodiversity.
He warned that destroying or dividing the green area would result in the loss of vegetation that had taken several decades to develop.
Hashim consequently appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to examine the reported alienation of the property and take appropriate legal measures to preserve the entire complex.
He also urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to maintain its opposition to any attempt to transfer the property to private interests and pursue all available legal avenues to protect the facility.
The commissioner said Kano was ready to work with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the NAGGW, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the APCU to safeguard the facility.
“Our position is clear: public environmental assets must remain in public service,” Hashim said.