Forest regeneration: Okomu Oil, IDH, Edo govt, communities set to regenerate 3,000 forest trees

In a bid to promote forest regeneration among communities in Ovia South-West Local Government Area, Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC, in partnership with the Edo State Government, IDH, and members of communities neighbouring Okomu Oil Palm Company, has entered into an agreement to cultivate over thirty-three thousand young forest trees in the area.

The projects, which will be in phases, will see the planting of three thousand (3,000) forest trees in Gbole-Uba Community, Paul Camp, Magdalene Camp, Osayamwen Community, and Bisi Camp in the first phase of the projects. 

Speaking at an interactive session organised for stakeholders in the project, the director of plantation, Edo State Forestry Commission, Mr. Akpele Maxwell, said the Edo State Government, in its commitment to protecting and preserving the state ecosystem, is partnering with key critical stakeholders in ensuring that depleted forest areas are regenerated while existing forests are protected. 

Mr. Akpele Maxwell noted that the programme, if properly implemented by all stakeholders, will help improve the livelihood of participating communities and also the region and the state at large. 

He added that part of the plan by the state government is that while the depleted forest areas are being replanted, existing farmers will be allowed to maintain theirs in the area, with the promise to protect and cater for the trees.

On his part, senior programme manager, IDH, Mr. Ogwu Abraham, said IDH, as an international non-profit organization, IDH is saddled with the responsibility of improving the livelihood of community members, encouraging sustainable agriculture, and championing the course for forest regeneration and protection.

He revealed that this forest regeneration partnership with Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC and the Edo State government is one of its programmes in the Okomu landscape aimed at improving the lot of farmers, especially oil palm farmers, in the state.

The Managing Director, Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC, represented by the company’s smallholder coordinator, Mr. Billy Ghansah, said having known the importance of highly conservated areas, management has deliberately set aside about 3,000 hectares of its concession as forest areas, which it has officers protecting the areas.

Mr. Billy Ghansah revealed that while some of the company’s high conservation value areas have seen increasing illegal activities like logging and encroachment by some individuals, the management is confident that with this new road map, every stakeholder in the region will collaborate in protecting not just the forest areas within the company’s concession but also those belonging to the government. 

For Alex Sese from Gbole-Uba Community, Dada Magdalene from Magdalene Camp, Edomie Precious from Paul Camp, and John Aghayere from Osayamwen Community, the initiative is a laudable programme which needs the support of every stakeholder in the areas.

They pledged their commitment to the success of the programme, having gotten the assurance from the state government that none of their crops planted will be destroyed, but rather their crops and the forest trees will coexist. 

The community representatives noted that if all stakeholders in the project keep up their end of the agreement, in no distant time, Edo State will be a reference point for forest regeneration in Nigeria. 

At the end of the interactive session, all of the stakeholders agreed to commence the regeneration project with the planting of 3,000 forest trees in selected areas, with the communities taking ownership of the trees.

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