Oil Palm Production: Solidaridad Builds Key Stakeholders In Enugu

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, June 18th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As part of its commitment towards boosting and changing the narrative of oil palm business in Enugu State, South East Nigeria, International Civil Society organization, the Solidaridad West Africa has put together a capacity-building workshop for members of the oilpalm multi-stakeholder platform (MSP) in the state.

The programme according to the organization, is equally aimed at equipping members of the MSP, to engage other oilpalm stakeholders and mobilize resources for a sustainable oil palm landscape.

They will also engage policymakers on deforestation-free oil palm development and develop a fundable sustainable management plan (SMP) for the state.

In his remark at the workshop held yesterday in Enugu , programme Manager, Oil palm, Solidaridad Nigeria, Mr. Kenechukwu Onukwube, explained that the MSP consists of policymakers, traditional leaders, oil palm farmers, civil society organizations, and religious leaders from the local government areas and communities benefiting from the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS).

He hinted that in Enugu state, 3500 oil palm farmers benefit from the NISCOPS programme, adding that Solidaridad West Africa currently implements NISCOPS in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu and Kogi states of Nigeria.

Speaking further at the workshop declared open by Enugu State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Mathew Idu, the programme Manager, stated that the event is also aimed at developing a sustainable management plan for the oil palm landscape in Enugu State.

“The specific objectives are: to equip MSP members with capacity for stakeholder engagements and resource mobilization for sustainable Oil Palm landscape.

” Engage decision makers on deforestation free Oil Palm development and to develop a fundable Sustainable Management Plan (SMP) for the state.

“This event will emphasize our collective responsibilities towards achieving sustainable oil palm landscape in Nigeria” said the programme Manager .

Speaking at the event, the Enugu Agric Commissioner, expressed appreciation to Solidaridad for the tremendous intervention programme its doing in the state.

He however, advised the participants to take the workshop very seriously, stressing that oil palm remains one of the natural Resources that is capable of changing their lives for better if properly utilized.

Also speaking, the Development Finance Officer (DFO), of the Enugu branch office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ozorlo Stella, applauded Solidaridad for what it has been doing in the Agricultural sector in Nigeria.

She however, advised members of the MSP to take advantage of several intervention funds in the Nigeria’s apex bank, which are designed to assist Nigerians in different focal sectors of the economy, including oil palm production.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands and Henkel support NISCOPS in Nigeria.