NGO Set To Empower Plank Sellers With Planting Of Economic, Medicinal Trees In Ogun

The African Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge Research and Development Project has concluded arrangements to empower millions of Ogun residents especially, plank sellers with the planting of millions of economic and medicinal trees across the state.

The President General of the Project, Chief Shuaib Aro made this known while delivering his keynote address at a day workshop on tree planting, agro forestry and medicinal plants for plank sellers in Ogun State held at the June 12 cultural center, Kuto, Abeokuta.

The workshop which was mainly organized for plank sellers in the State, according to Chief Aro is to promote economic empowerment and protect some economic and medicinal trees from going into extinction.

He said the Organization is collaborating with the Ogun State government and other stakeholders to freely provide lands for planting of economic and medicinal trees for the interested members of the public.

The project which will be done in phases, according to him will see the plank sellers benefitting with a million seedlings released to the beneficiaries.

Chief Aro said “the project is being funded by indigenous private sponsors on a purely
commercial basis at the rate of N500,000:00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) per participant.

He said the “cost of this year’s project is N2,500,000,000:00 (Two Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira only) for the five thousand (5,000) people
earmarked for this year.

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“We shall however appreciate philanthropists who are willing to support the project by making donations to assist the organization.

“The only responsibility of the participant is to procure the seeds and seedlings for planting. It is our hope to increase the number of participants to a reasonable size next year for effective management of the forest for climate amelioration, food production and healthcare delivery systems.

“We are set to adopt agricultural innovations for food and cash crop production to mitigate poverty and to support Nigeria in achieving its national development goals thereby contributing to the global 2030 agenda for
sustainable development.

We have in our midst highly resourced persons from various relevant federal and state government institutions who shall educate us on agroforestry and medicinal plant cultivation. We would continue to enhance the capacities of the participants through education and training and support research and
knowledge that will address likely challenges.

“The organization shall facilitate incentives including finance at a considerable interest rate from relevant financial institutions in the course of the project.

“We have allocated one thousand (1,000) slots of the participants to the Ogun
State Planks Sellers Association at an average of fifty (50) participants per
Local Government area in the State.

“They are participating in tree planting for the purpose of producing timber and planks for their businesses. We shall further encourage them to cultivate arable crops and medicinal plants to meet up the standards of this project.

Earlier in his welcome address, the National Coordinator of the Project, Chief Taoreed Adefolakan said the tree planting project is been done to empower the people and ensure that poverty is eradicated among the people.

He said, the project which is to promote self reliance will afford participants to also plant some arable food crops that would generate income for them.

He said the Organisation will provide necessary support like lands, land preparation and other logistics to the farmers , while also assuring of adequate security while on the farm.

He appealed for people who have the wherewithal to support the project while assuring that the benefit accrue from the programe will be beneficial to all.