By Chukwuka Ugokwe
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has inaugurated the distribution of one million and forty combination of economic trees across the state.
Among the cash crops currently being distributed through the 326 political wards through the Umunna system are seven hundred thousand palm seedlings, two hundred thousand ukwa seedlings, fifty thousand bitter kola and forty thousand paw-paw seedlings.
“We are celebrating the revolution, and we are here to signpost again one of the silver bullets that we have crafted to be able to drive sustainable environment, wealth creation, leaving no one behind.
“We are here to launch an ongoing programme designed to plant 10 million seedlings in Anambra over the next few years.
“Palm, oil, coconut oil, and other economic trees will in the medium term be the next oil.
“Anambra is in many ways the second Lagos in many terms.
“Anambra has the second smallest land mass after Lagos. While Lagos is expanding by reclaiming its land mass into the ocean, Anambra’s land mass is shrinking due to erosion, with over 1000 active erosion sites.
“This is why we are economical with land management and usage,” the governor stressed.
Governor Soludo acknowledged that in the future, Anambra will be a land driven by industrialization and commerce, pointing out that his administration is making steady progress on all the five pillars of development of his government
“Urban regeneration and community planning, water scheme, etc, are going on simultaneously.
“Part of our future lies in our past.
“Today, we celebrate our founding fathers who helped to create the first prosperity in the first republic, including MI Okpara, Ahmadu Bello, etc.
“We must learn from our past to empower our people in a sustainable manner. Let us reinvent our past. The target is to empower over one million households.
“Our agenda is to empower people sustainably, to give them fish for life, creating the greenest and sustainable environment in the process.
Governor Soludo, who recalled that 1.1 million seedlings have been distributed between 2022 and 2023, emphasized that with the initiative, a new industrial eco system is emerging.
“Where do we go from here?
“Next year, we will distribute at least another 1,000,000 seedlings, same every year. The target is to hit 10 million seedlings.
“We are mainstreaming tree planting as a culture to make Anambra earn carbon credit.
“We encourage the educational institutions to turn their environment to become green, plant a tree, it will help with our environment and ecology.
“We have porous sandy soil. It will help with our fight against land degradation.
“To every community, if you have land ready for plantation, we will help you with seedlings.
“Ndị Anambra, I can see that the future which will endure many decades after we have left office.
“What you plant today will be for your children, your great grand children and your great great grand children.
“This is a revolution to everybody. This initiative is the goal of APGA, “the governor concluded.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Mohammad Abubakar represented by the Director of the Ministry, Arthur Mbuba, lauded Governor Soludo’s government for driving the initiative which is a strong poverty alleviation programme and expressed commitment to partnering with Anambra State, especially in the agriculture sector.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Foster Ihejiofor described Governor Soludo as a rare mixture of brain and heart, saying that he always thinks of how to make everyone free and prosperous, especially the weak and vulnerable in the society.
Dr. Ihejiofor revealed that the initiative is not only strategic but also an efficient way to enhance the economy and build a sustainable Anambra.
“The oil palm, coconut and staple tree crops agenda represents a bold step towards sustainable agricultural development, economic growth and prosperity for our farmers, stakeholders and the entire nation.
“This agenda is not just a plan,,it is an unflinching commitment to harnessing the immense potential of our agricultural sector to drive social progress and create opportunities for all”
The Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim accompanied the Governor to inaugurate the programme with other top government officials and members of the State House of Assembly.
Ugokwe is of the State Ministry of Information
