Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed that Nigeria will embark on a massive tree planting campaign during the upcoming rainy season, as part of the country’s national reforestation and environmental sustainability efforts.
Speaking on Saturday after touring several agricultural and industrial facilities across Ethiopia, Vice President Shettima, who is on a state visit to the country, described Ethiopia as a success story worthy of emulation and a pathfinder for Africa’s renaissance.
He said the initiative draws strong inspiration from Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, which he described as a model that merges climate action with economic opportunity.
“We intend to plant 20 billion trees in the next rainy season. It requires a lot of planning, energy and drive, which Ethiopia was able to galvanise its population into doing.
“I was overwhelmed with joy that the real economic renaissance of Africa is in the offing. Ethiopia has become the pathfinder, the front runner in us reclaiming our pride and our continent. We are mightily proud of them,” he stated.
The Vice President’s tour included visits to Adama Dairy Farms, Luke Avocado Nursery, Shera Dibandiba Mojo Family Integrated Farm, Biyyo Poultry Farm, and Bishoftu Pea Farm, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development.
Central to the visit was the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, which the Nigerian Vice President described as a win-win for all, noting that the programme combines environmental restoration with job creation.
“Ethiopia is a nation of over 100 million people; the success of Ethiopia will reverberate across the length and breadth of East and Southern Africa,” VP Shettima said.
Wheat Sufficiency
The Vice President commended Ethiopia’s achievement in attaining wheat self-sufficiency as a major milestone, noting that the country has shifted from importing wheat worth $1 billion annually to exporting to neighbouring countries, including Djibouti and Kenya.
“If Nigeria and Ethiopia work, Africa will work. Jointly, the two of us constitute over 350 million people, more than the population of the United States. We have to make these two countries work harmoniously for the betterment of our continent,” he said.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Dr Kingsley Uzoma, described the visit as phenomenal, reaffirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to replicating Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation model.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a whole lot of respect for the people of Ethiopia. Why we came here is to understudy what we have seen and report back to him. I believe that he will replicate this in a much stronger and bolder scope,” Dr Uzoma said.
He further stated that Nigeria is pursuing economic diversification strategies aimed at reducing dependence on oil revenues by expanding agricultural exports, including avocado, pineapple, mango, cashew, and cocoa.