FAME Foundation Marks 2025 Desertification and Drought Day with Call to Action for Land Restoration and Community Resilience

In commemoration of Desertification and Drought Day 2025, FAME Foundation stands in solidarity with the global community to spotlight one of the most urgent environmental and developmental challenges of our time—land degradation. This year’s theme, “Restore the Land. Unlock the Opportunities,” calls for transformative action to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience, and unlock sustainable development opportunities for vulnerable communities.

Land is more than soil, it is life. Yet globally, land the size of four football fields is lost to degradation every minute. This crisis fuels biodiversity loss, escalates drought risk, and displaces populations—undermining food systems, water security, and economic stability. Alarmingly, over 40% of the world’s land is now classified as degraded.

In Nigeria, the Sahel region bears the brunt of this crisis. States such as Yobe, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa, Adamawa, and Borno face rapidly advancing desertification. These conditions jeopardize agriculture, diminish livelihoods, intensify insecurity, and deepen inequalities, particularly for women, children, and marginalized groups, who are often least responsible but most impacted.

As a frontline organization committed to gender equity, climate action, and community resilience, FAME Foundation emphasizes that land restoration is both an environmental imperative and a human development priority.

Speaking to the press, Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, Executive Director of FAME Foundation, highlighted the interconnectedness of land, livelihoods, and local resilience:

“Desertification is a slow-moving disaster that is silently eroding the future of millions. From drying water sources to vanishing farmland, northern Nigeria is experiencing a humanitarian and ecological crisis. This is not just about saving land, it’s about saving lives.”

She added:

“When we restore land, we restore dignity. We generate livelihoods, improve food security, and reduce forced migration. Investing in land restoration is investing in peace, prosperity, and people.”

In her closing remarks, Arabinrin Aderonke reinforced FAME Foundation’s unwavering commitment to awareness, advocacy, and action. She called on every Nigerian to understand the stakes and embrace solutions, however small, that contribute to restoring the environment. For her, the fight against desertification is a fight for survival, justice, and shared prosperity.

As the world observes Desertification and Drought Day 2025, FAME Foundation reaffirms its commitment to protecting the environment, promoting equity, and empowering communities through advocacy, education, and sustainable development programming.