Niger State Governor Flags Off Planting of 3000 Hybrid Shea Trees

Niger State Governor North Central Nigeria, Abubakar Sani Bello has flagged off hybrid shea tree planting in an effort of accelerating the economic transformation of the State.

Bello said the aim of the tree planting campaign is to geometrically increase the number of shea trees in the economic value-chain.

Bello further said the tree planting which is a pilot scheme in collaboration with the National Shea Products Association of Nigeria, NASPAN, is to establish Shea Parkland Afforestation and Reforestation, SPARE, project in Nigeria.

“The global shea butter market has grown rapidly due to the increased demand in making confectioneries, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products among others” said Bello.

Governor Bello who further acknowledged that the state has the highest number of shea trees in the world, said “He’s not leaving anything to chance in harnessing the comparative advantage of the economic trees and the value-chain which has the potential of engaging thousands of women and youths across the state.

“3,000 of the trees will be planted in phase one of the project to cover 20 hectares of land in which each hectare will accommodate 150 seedlings of the shea trees”.

The Niger State Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Mr.  Daniel Habila, expressed concern over the rate at which the natural forest is being depleted. He explained that the new approach to reforestation with shea trees and other economic trees will change the narrative in the State.

“The shea trees will not only bring economic benefits to Niger state but, will bring climate change mitigation benefits that will minimise the environmental impacts from carbon footprints.”

The National President of NASPAN, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmed
who said that the target of the project is to plant 10million shea trees in the next 10 years, explained that the project was initiated due to indiscriminate felling of shea trees in Niger State.

Emmanuel Ukoh