Gombe college moves to preserve disappearing indigenous trees

The Federal College of Horticulture and Agricultural Technology, Gombe, has commenced efforts to conserve indigenous tree species that are gradually disappearing from the environment.

The Provost of the college, Dr Umar Abdullahi, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Gombe on Tuesday, saying the institution had strengthened its nursery to produce seedlings of indigenous and conventional plant species.

Abdullahi said the initiative was part of the college’s statutory responsibility and broader efforts to preserve plant species for future generations.

He said the nursery currently contains seedlings of tamarind, baobab, Adansonia digitata, Borassus, and other indigenous species.

He said, “Our nursery now contains seedlings of tamarind, baobab, Adansonia digitata, Borassus and several other indigenous trees that are gradually disappearing from our environment.

“Our long-term goal is to establish a plantation of these indigenous species within the college as a conservation centre. Even if these trees disappear from the wild, future generations will still be able to find and study them here.”

The provost explained that the proposed plantation would serve both as a conservation facility and a learning resource for students and researchers.

He said preserving indigenous species was particularly important because some of the trees that were once common in local communities were becoming increasingly difficult to find.

“Conservation of indigenous plant species is one of our key priorities,” Abdullahi said.

The initiative is part of efforts by the institution to expand its role beyond classroom teaching and contribute to environmental conservation and agricultural development in the region.

Abdullahi said the college was also strengthening its engagement with surrounding communities through agricultural partnerships and practical training.

He disclosed that the institution had partnered with Plough Ministry of Nigeria on an out-grower scheme involving maize and soybean production, with more than 100 farmers currently participating.

According to him, the partnership followed the success of a demonstration plot established to determine the suitability of the area’s soil for maize and soybean production.

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“We allocated a demonstration plot to the organisation to test whether the soil in this area was suitable for maize and soybean production. The results were very successful,” he said.

He said the partnership had since been expanded into an out-grower scheme under which farmers receive improved seeds, fertiliser, agrochemicals and technical support.

The farmers, he added, would sell their produce to the organisation at the prevailing market price after harvest.

Abdullahi said the college initially allocated 50 hectares for the scheme despite the organisation’s willingness to support production on up to 1,000 hectares.

“Since this is our first experience with the programme, we believe it is better to start on a smaller scale, evaluate the outcome, and then gradually expand to 100 hectares and beyond if successful,” he said.

The provost said the college’s agricultural experts would continue to monitor participating farmers and provide technical assistance throughout the production cycle.

He added that the initiatives were part of his administration’s efforts to ensure that the institution had a meaningful impact on its host communities while contributing to agricultural and environmental development.

Speaking further, Abdullahi disclosed that the institution’s student enrolment has risen from about 250 to 1,250 following reforms introduced to address challenges affecting admission.

Abdullahi attributed the five-fold increase to the establishment of a Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board support centre, community mobilisation, and students’ access to the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Loan Fund scheme.

He said when he assumed office, low enrolment was one of the biggest challenges confronting the institution.

“The biggest challenge I met was the extremely low student enrolment. At the time, the college had only about 250 students. Addressing this became my immediate priority.

“Through deliberate planning and strategic interventions, we were able to increase enrolment significantly. At our last matriculation, we admitted about 1,250 students, which represents a remarkable improvement,” he said.

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