Health
Ogun targets tree planting to boost IGR
By Olufemi Adediran
The Ogun State Government has begun plans to harness the economic potential of eucalyptus plantations to boost its Internally Generated Revenue and create investment opportunities in the forestry sector.
In a statement on Saturday, the Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, said the initiative, being implemented in collaboration with forestry stakeholders and Huafa Forest Resources Development of Nigeria Co. Ltd., would involve the cultivation of eucalyptus seedlings across the state’s forest reserves.
Oludotun urged charcoal dealers, timber contractors, farmers and other operators in the forestry sector to embrace the initiative, saying eucalyptus cultivation could provide an additional source of income while contributing to the state’s revenue.
He said the relatively short maturity period of eucalyptus, estimated at between four and five years, made it a more attractive investment than some economic trees that take more than a decade to mature.
According to him, the tree has several commercial applications, with its wood useful for furniture, paper production and roofing, among others.
The commissioner also said the leaves could be processed into oil used in mosquito repellents, adding that the various applications of eucalyptus would help create a ready market for farmers and investors.
He said the ministry adopted the initiative as part of efforts to promote sustainable forest development in the state, expressing optimism that demand for eucalyptus would grow in the coming years.
Speaking, the Marketing Manager of Huafa Forest Resources Development of Nigeria Co. Ltd., John Yi, said the company had secured about 500 million hectares of land across Nigeria and had the capacity to cultivate and produce more than eight million seedlings annually.
Yi described eucalyptus as a fast-growing tree with strong wood and a survival rate of about 90 per cent, making it suitable for commercial plantations.
Also speaking, a Professor of Forestry and Conservation at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof Segun Oladoye, described eucalyptus as a tree with significant economic potential.
Oladoye said its high survival rate and relatively fast growth made it attractive to farmers and investors, adding that Ogun State could derive substantial economic benefits from the initiative over time.
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