Trees as alternative source of revenue

Trees as alternative source of revenue By Innocent Onoh November 16, 2015 As the dry season spreads across the country, one of the environmental problems many will be battling with is intense heat. To tackle this, natural disaster, experts have always advised governments and people to plant trees, which provides a natural shield. In this report, correspondent Innocent Onoh takes a look at how trees can be an alternative source of income for the country, in addition to regulating temperature and checking other environmental challenges.

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Many states in Nigeria have adopted different tree planting initiatives in a bid to recover arable lands degraded by erosion, over farming, desert encroachment and, others, which are threatening food production, lives and property, but the successful implementation of the initiatives in good time, remains the issue. In Lagos State, for instance the government launches tree planting programme every year in which every resident is expected to plant at least one tree each year, and if anyone should cut down a tree, he should plant two in replacement. Some Lagos State government officials and children who are the target groups spoke on the essence of tree planting during one of the celebrations. “About Six thousand trees planted in seven years have benefited the state’”. “Trees help the planet by taking carbon dioxide into animal food and give oxygen for humans to breathe in”.” If one hundred and sixty million Nigerians should each plant a tree, we can be sure that our goal of creating a green environment free of pollution, erosion and other natural disasters will be achieved”.” Planting trees is good”. If that initiative is pursued religiously, by now the state would be a forest of trees. But that is not so. Most places in the city including Lagos Island, Amukoko in Ifelodun Area, and others, are without trees. The implication of that is that the people are vulnerable to the scotching heat which has made life a living hell for many. According to some respondents ,the reason why the tree planting initiatives in Lagos has not achieved significant success are many, including the ignorance of many on the importance of trees, the I don’t care attitude of people , and the fact that there are no available lands to plant trees , since most residents live in rented houses. A tour of states in North Western region of the country, including Kano and Katsina, shows another dimension of the issue. Residents feel that planting of trees will take over their farmlands, and as such they are reluctant to embrace the initiative. But experts say, it is high time that the people were educated on the immense benefit of trees around them. Trees they say keep the weather cool, act as wind breakers to protect houses, create the ambience for the soil to replenish for better yield and help to check climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide which is among the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. In fact in line with global efforts to reduce emission through degradation and desertification, just creating and sustaining forests will earn the country huge revenue. An environmentalist Dr. Desmond Majekodunmi who noted that Cross River State is among states that are earning huge revenue from its forest reserves, advised other states to follow suit to among other things protect their people from the devastating impact of climate change. “”This terrible Climate change that is about to get out of hand by our own negative activities which has caused far more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Forest is what God has given us to check carbon dioxide. It is the forests that recycles carbon dioxide and give us oxygen that we need for our survival”. Kano State is among States that are on the verge of attaining economic boom from trees. The State which already had made millions of naira from trees planted some 25 years ago, between 1987 and 1999 to check rapidly encroaching desert, was as at the end of last Month, about signing a memorandum of understanding with an Abuja based company for the harvesting of tree parts for making paper, matches and others. Speaking on the tree business, the State Deputy Director Afforestation Project, Farm Centre, Alhaji Aminu Kabiru explained that a typical Eucalyptus tree could be sold for between one thousand naira and one thousand Five Hundred Naira. “We are waiting for the company. It is not al the tree species that they want. They will sample the species, after which we talk on how they will be exploiting the leaves. If you leave the leaves, with time, they fall and decay. But by selling them, we make more profit”. Based on these success stories, experts believe that the Great Green Wall Programme of creating a wall of trees along desert frontline areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, covering eleven countries from Senegal in West Africa to Djibouti in East Africa and passing through eleven states in the country, could positively turn around the economic fortunes of the affected states. According to the Desk Officer for the Great Green Wall programme in Kano State, Alhaji Garba Sale for more returns governments of the affected states should go beyond the wall of trees to creating orchards of economic trees. He underscored the immense benefit of the project and other tree planting efforts. “The Wall is a plantation of trees that is 7500 km long and 15km wide which runs across Sub-Saharan Africa. It enters Nigeria from Kebbi State. In Kano, initially the three most northern LGAs are the most affected; later we come to look at the concept altogether , that it shouldn’t be just planting trees to combat desertification, other concepts of economic empowerment should come in. Hence more LGAs were included. So, Instead of the initial three , that Kano had, we have six being included in the GGW which include shelter belts creation in other LGAs that are not within the corridor . Other components are being involved. This is the orchard and wood belts and so on. So if you look at that, you see that it is a program that is encompassing and that has the socio economic benefit for the community, the environment and the general populace”. The respondents say no effort should be spared in replacing the nation’s forest cover, because forests are life and they create wealth. #Earth journalism Network #Lagos Tree Planting #Nigeria Afforestation #GGW #Kano#Katsina