ASSESSMENT OF THE ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF GOMBE GOES GREEN PROJECT (3Gs) IN GOMBE METROPOLIS, GOMBE STATE

Abstract

The study aimed to assess some of the economic benefits of the Gombe Goes Green project, an ambitious reforestation project of the Gombe state government, some of the objectives used in the study include the identification of some of the sites used for the project and some key actors involved, identify the economic benefits of the project as well as determine the expected outcome and how it affect the biodiversity restoration of the area. In this study, both researcher-constructed data and documented data were used; key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with some officials of the project, as well as some NGOs and other respondents associated with the project. The study revealed that many people were engaged either directly or indirectly in the project, for example, about 27,000 people were directly engaged in water, pruning and maintaining the trees, hundreds were also engaged during digging and planting exercises, different equipment such as shovel, digger, water guard, hand gloves, wooden protector as well as seedlings were procured amounting to hundreds of millions of Naira putting more money in the hands of locals thereby creating more wealth. The study also revealed that in the long run, when the trees fully grow, it will lead to the restoration of the loss of biodiversity of the area, through which a functional ecosystem will be revived in a way that will render services to the people of the area. The study concluded that projects like the 3Gs are so important and beneficial to the people in such a way that they will not only restore biodiversity and improve their ecosystem services, but the project also improves people’s livelihood, creates more jobs, as well as stimulates the local economy.