….Unveil “One Family, 20 Palms” Project
By Chuks Collins
The National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) has launched efforts this weekend to restore Anambra State and the South East to the forefront of the global palm produce value chain.
The vision which was a synergy by Alpha Palm City estate Development Ltd, a private sector driven company and the NPPAN.
The company, an agro-real estate development outfit acquires estates, plants fast growing and high yielding palm nursery/ seedlings, nurture same and sell to agro investors.
Consequently, the Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof Foster Ihejiofor disclosed that Gov Chukwuma Soludo is positively disposed to investing in the sector for maximum returns.
He noted that his visit to Malaysia in 2022 revealed that palm tree was officially turned into a national economic plant. It was such that no one touches it without government approval. He therefore warned that anyone who torches palm trees would be prosecuted.
He highlighted that palm tree was so venerated in Malaysia, and that no by-product of it was ever allowed to waste.
Ihejiofor opined that such could be replicated here in Anambra with this bold move of NPPAN/Alpha Palm City initiative. He noted that as palm plantation has become the backbone of the Malaysian economy, so it could be to the Nigerian and Anambra economy, since Gov Soludo has expressed high optimism in backing serious investors to standardize and get processing machines if they form cooperatives. He believes that it’s then we start getting high returns from the investment.
He bemaon a situation where Nigeria that gave palm nuts to Malaysia few years ago now imports five hundred million dollars($500m) worth of palm oil from same nation annually.
Moreso, that more than 80% of products on the shelves of any typical Nigerian supermarket were by-products of palm oil.
The Commissioner stated that Anambra government has so far distributed 220 million palm seedlings to more than 180,000 households in the State in the last two years in pursuit of Prof Soludo’s bold vision for the sector.
That palm tree remains a very valuable economic tree that lifts families out of poverty.
Mrs Priceless Aniemeka, an executive of the Alpha Palm City Estate, in her presentation noted that the company was well disposed to partnering individuals and groups who want to invest in agro estate development. She noted that they have lands, already planted with quality fast yielding nursery palms species.
She added that they would tend to them for a period till the investor takes over. She therefore urge local and international investors to use this opportunity to approach them, especially in view of the popular “one family, twenty palms” on-going promotion. The payment, she pointed out are in phases and in installments.
The aim, she added was to raise no fewer than twenty million palm trees soon in the state.
The National Vice President (South East) of NPPAN, Dr Lynda Onubogu who formally inaugurated the newly elected Anambra State executive led by Mrs Ifeyinwa Onweluzo, in her remarks pointed out that palm produce is the main base and trademark of Eastern Nigerian economy until it was unfortunately neglected.
That the inauguration was a call to restore the palm produce business in the South East zone beginning with Anambra State.
The National Secretary of ANPPAN, Kayode Olatola reiterated that the association has been in existence since 1995 and that palm trees was found in commercial quantity in 29 States of the federation
