The aim of this directive is to ensure a clean, safe, and healthy environment for all residents. People are therefore strongly advised against cultivating crops or engaging in any form of farming in areas set aside for beautification and urban development.
The Bauchi State Government, through its Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), has announced a total ban on farming activities along road setbacks and in open spaces within metropolitan and urban areas across the state.
This decision was disclosed in an official statement released on Friday by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Yahaya Waziri. He explained that the move is a deliberate step toward preserving the environment, enhancing public safety, and maintaining the aesthetics of the state’s urban centres.
According to Waziri, farming on public roadsides, medians, green belts, and designated open spaces not only violates urban planning regulations but also creates multiple environmental hazards. He warned that such practices can block drainage channels, disfigure the landscape, compromise public health, and contribute to urban degradation.
“The aim of this directive is to ensure a clean, safe, and healthy environment for all residents,” he stated. “People are therefore strongly advised against cultivating crops or engaging in any form of farming in areas set aside for beautification and urban development.”
To ensure compliance, BASEPA has declared its intention to begin immediate monitoring and enforcement exercises. Mr. Waziri stressed that individuals or groups who disregard this ban will be sanctioned in accordance with the environmental laws currently in effect in the state.
He emphasized that this directive is part of the broader initiative by the agency to uphold environmental standards and promote sustainable living conditions for all citizens of Bauchi State.