Oil Palm: Solidaridad, Holds Workshop For Enugu, Kogi Stakeholders On Promoting Inclusive Green Growth Policies.

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – An international solution-oriented civil society organization Solidaridad, supporting Agriculture in Nigeria, has held a training workshop and dialogue for multi-Stakeholders in oil palm production in Enugu and Kogi states, on promoting sustainable

oil palm and land scapes that will contribute to inclusive green growth policies at state level.

Speaking at the one day workshop held weeknd in Enugu, the programme Manager, Mr. Kene Onukwube, explained that the workshop was aimed at exposing participants to relevant national and state-based policies supporting green growth in Enugu and Kogi, two of the four states benefitting from the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climat Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS) in Nigeria.

He stated that “the objectiveof the workshop is to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to understand, develop and implement policies that will promote inclusive green growth policies.

Onukwube, disclosed that Other benefitting states includes, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, stressing that the exposure will enable the participants to develop action plans and advocacy strategies to promote sustainable oil palm production in their respective states.

Our Correspondent reports that Participants were drawn from the private investors, policy makers from the Executive and legislative arms of governments,

the media, civil society groups, the Oil Palm Growers Association (OPGAN), amongst others.

Also in attendance were those from the forestry Commission, Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and natural resources, both at the local and state levels.

The programme Manager who harped on the need for the Stakeholders to support the green growth initiative, said the NISCOPS project is improving the yield and income of smallholder oil palm farmers through climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land use.

He noted that Solidaridad, through its oil palm interventions in Enugu and Kogi States, has improved the yield of smallholder oil palm farmers from 2.2 to an average of 9.7 per hectare.

According to Onukwube, also, about 15,000 farmers now practice best management and sustainable land use in different communities in the four states, adding that Kingdom of the Netherlands and Henkel support NISCOPS in Nigeria.

Addressing the participants, Enugu state Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro industrialization, Patrick Nwabueze Ubro, expressed appreciation to Solidaridad for it’s intervention in the state, assuring that the government of the day will continue to provide the enabling Enviroment for private sectors.

In his remark, the Deputy Chief Whip and Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Seyi Bello, representing Kabba State Constituency, commended Solidaridad, for it’s intervention in the state.

The lawmaker said the state government attaches so much importance on the Agriculture sector, urging Solidaridad to avail him and his colleagues a business plan that would enable them do a more robust Agricuitural business with the organization.

Also speaking, another member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Jibri Abu, representing Ajaokuta state Constituency, Corroborated his colleague, saying the state is highly endowed with abundant minerals and natural resources yet to be harnessed.