The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), with its Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN) Programme, has implemented livelihood support activities with the planting of 276,860 tree seedlings that has added economic value for over 1000 Nigerians in their communities in 2023.
This was revealed in a statement signed by the Head Communications, NCF, Oladapo Soneye, where it was revealed that the overall goal of the GRN programme is to contribute and facilitate reforestation scheme in 25 per cent of Nigeria’s total landmass.
According to Soneye, the GRN is a 30-year programme that will run from 2017 to 2047, while simultaneously promoting actions to curb further deforestation and forest degradation.
He mentioned other activities of the programme to include fuel-efficient cook stove training, provision of clean water, employment as eco-guards, tree nursery raising, enterprise development around non-timber forest products and many others.
The livelihood support component of the GRN programme aims at reducing total dependence of communities on the forest and to reduce deforestation caused by fuel-wood extraction.
Others are encouraging conservation of wildlife and prevent hideouts of criminals in the forest reserves.
Some of the beneficiary communities in the livelihood component to include Iko Esai and Becheve in Cross River; Ajingi in Kano; Guzape in Abuja; Awka-Etiti in Anambra, among others.
“The tree planting exercise happened across the six geo-political zones of the nation. Economic trees planted include avocado, mango, cashew, orange and timber trees like Gmelina and teak among others.
“The trees were planted in forest reserves, national parks, community forests, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions among others,” Soneye revealed.
He also said the livelihood support and tree planting projects were made possible through the support of the German Government through the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union and Stanbic IBTC Holdings.
Other supporters of the programme include Access Corporation, AFR100, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, International Labour Organisation and First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, ATC Nigeria Wireless Infrastructure Ltd., among many others.
The NCF is the foremost environmental NGO dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity resource management for over 40 years.
Source: NCF
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