Over 500 farmers, government officials, media practitioners, Civil Society Organizations, Non- governmental organizations have received training on the production of sustainable palm oil facilitated by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in Edo State.
The Managing Consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Foremost Development Services Ltd (FDS), Fatai Afolabi, while addressing participants at the end of the first stage of the training on RSPO Principles and Criteria 2018, said a total of 31 communities in six local government of the state and other relevant stakeholders benefitted from the capacity building programme.
Afolabi listed the local governments that benefitted from the capacity building programme to include Ikpoba Okha, Ovia Southwest, Ovia Northeast, Uhunmwonde, Owan West and Orhionmwon.
He said over 40 persons drawn from the Civil Society Organisations, non-governmental organisations, Media Practitioners, officials of the Edo State Government, representatives of palm oil producing companies in the state also benefitted from the training programme.
“It is estimated that no less than 100 communities will therefore be involved in the production of sustainable palm oil, RSPO has therefore chosen Edo State for the kick-off of COEP in Nigeria,” he said.
In her address, RSPO, Assurance Manager (Africa), Marie Rosine Nsegbe, said the capacity building was geared towards enhancing the capacity of all stakeholders in the palm oil sub sector.
Nsegbe said there are over 5,000 registered RSPO members across the globe, but out of that, only four members are certified to be producing sustainable palm oil in Nigeria.
She appealed to those that are yet to be RSPO certified to do so, in order to be able to reap the benefits of the programme.
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