NGO Flags Off Coconut Festival In Badagry, Plants 500 Seedlings

An NGO, African Coconut Heritage Initiative (AGUNKEFEST) has flagged off coconut festival with planting of 500 seedlings in schools and other places in Badagry.

Speaking shortly after the planting, President of AGUNKEFEST, Mr Mesi Doheto, said the flag off of the festival was to begin coconut planting during raining season.

Although Doheto said that the festival was normally held in November, he, however, said that the group decided to separate the coconut planting for this year to kick-start the festival.

“For this year’s flag-off, we brought students from different schools in Badagry because we want to initiate them into planting.
 
Big Opportunity

“We discovered that many schools in Badagry have land and this is a big opportunity for us to give them the seedlings so that they can plant them in their school environment.
 
“We are also catching them young, inculcating the idea of save environment and also giving the school economic power because in some years’ time, the coconut will begin to bear fruits,” he said.

Doheto said that 20 schools, 10 primary schools and 10 secondary schools, were selected for the programme.

“We gave each of the schools 10 seedlings to plant, making 200 seedlings altogether.
 
“AGUNKEFEST team will visit their schools by November to monitor how they are growing.
 
“We also donated another 100 seedlings to Association of Coconut Growers (ACG), being a stakeholder in the sector.
 
“The initiative also planted some seedling in some areas in Badagry where there are spaces for the crop to grow,” he said.

The president said that the coconut festival would come up between Nov. 23 and Nov. 25, and that many important personalities would be invited from all walks of life.

Coconut stakeholders

The Director Research, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Dr Victor Adangbe, said that research was actively ongoing with regards to the yearnings of the coconut stakeholders.

According to him, the research will focus on producing improved yielding planting materials through disease-resistant planting materials.

“We are also training farmers on effective field management and nursery management practices,” he said.

The Coordinator, AGUNKEFEST, Mr Mustapha Ademola, said that coconut trees play important roles in controlling the economy of a nation.

According to Ademola, the seed is constantly of demand because the fruit is a raw material for many major industries.

He urged Nigerians to always plant the crop in their environments.

The traditional rulers in Badagry, political office holders, executives of ACG and youths graced the occasion.