The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Faruk Adamu Kuta, has expressed the university’s commitment to nurturing newly donated fruit tree seedlings to maturity as part of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project.
ACReSAL is a World Bank-assisted initiative co-funded by the Niger State government aimed at reforesting degraded wetlands and semi-arid landscapes with improved fruit trees.
Prof. Kuta gave this assurance during the handover and symbolic planting of fruit tree seedlings by ACReSAL and the University Management.
The event took place on September 6, 2023, at the Nursery Garden of the University’s Department of Horticulture, Main Campus Gidan Kwano.
He emphasised the university’s readiness to nurture the seedlings to maturity, stating that they have the necessary capacity, expertise, and manpower to ensure the successful growth of these seedlings.
The facilities provided by ACReSAL have made the process more straightforward, and the university is dedicated to deploying the right personnel to achieve this goal.
Prof. Kuta also expressed appreciation to ACReSAL and the World Bank for their generous gestures, highlighting the timing as the university is in the process of establishing the Department of Forestry and Wildlife.
He further appealed to ACReSAL to consider expanding its scope to include endangered animal species and encouraged them to conduct supervisory visits to monitor the progress of the planted trees.
The State Project Coordinator, Mal. Usman Garba Ibeto explained that ACReSAL is a six-year plant restoration project supported by the World Bank and covers 19 northern states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja.
He mentioned that the President of Nigeria has given the Federal Ministry of Environment a directive to reclaim approximately four million hectares of land by 2030, with each state expected to reclaim about 60,000 hectares.
One of the project components is to partner with educational institutions, and in Niger State, the three selected institutions are the Federal University of Technology, Minna; Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda University, Lapai; and the Federal College of Education, Kontagora.
The University’s Director of the Directorate for Collaboration, Affiliation, and Linkages (DCAL), Prof. Israel Olayemi, disclosed that the Vice-Chancellor has allocated a parcel of land for planting purposes, and the University has opted to plant economic trees, not only for economic and environmental benefits but also for teaching and research purposes.
In addition to the fruit tree seedlings covering 60 hectares of land, ACReSAL is also sinking eight boreholes to ensure the sustainability and survival of the planted trees within the University.
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