UYO – Solidaridad, a forward-thinking civil society organization, is initiating an effort to familiarize oil palm farmers in the states of Akwa Ibom and Cross River with pertinent national and state-level policies that endorse green growth.
The two states were chosen for the training program due to their status as beneficiaries of the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS). This initiative seeks to enhance the yield and income of smallholder oil palm farmers by promoting climate-smart agriculture practices and sustainable land use.
At a policy dialogue in Uyo themed, “promoting sustainable oil palm landscapes for inclusive green growth”, Mr. Kenechukwu Onukwube, Solidaridad’s Program Manager for Oil Palm in Nigeria, explained that the training would equip the participants with knowledge to formulate action plans and advocacy strategies for sustainable oil palm production.
The dialogue aims to not only provide participants with an understanding of state-specific oil palm landscapes but also guide them to establish state-specific green growth action plans and the means to implement them. Attendees include private investors, state assembly policymakers, media representatives, members of civil society organizations, the Oil Palm Growers Association (OPGAN), the forestry commission, and officials from the local and state-level ministries of environment, agriculture, and natural resources.
Onukwube highlighted that Solidaridad’s oil palm initiatives have significantly increased the yield of smallholder oil palm farmers from 2.2 to an average of 9.7 per hectare in these two states. He further noted that 5000 farmers have adopted best management and sustainable land use practices in various communities.
SOURCE: Independent
IMAGE: Facebook/Solidaridad West Africa
