Edo State Afforestation Project
Edo State is one of the first set of States benefiting from the new National Afforestation Programme being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Environment under the Green Bond initiative towards achieving Nigeria’s National Commitment to Climate Change Agreement (National Determined Contribution to Climate Change Amelioration - NDC). The States are Anambra, Edo, Enugu, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, Kaduna, Gombe, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory. The National Afforestation programme is one of the three projects being currently funded under the Green Bond. The other two are Renewable Energy Mini Utilities (REMU) and Energizing Education Program (EEP).
The bidding for the afforestation programme was keenly contested but ENARMAC Nigeria Consulting firm was lucky to win the contract award for the establishment of 6.2ha of plantation in Edo State. In implementing this project, we, first of all, met with the officials of the Edo State Ministry of Environment (the Honorable Commissioner for Environment, Honorable Omoua Alonge Oni Opaku, the Permanent Secretary and the Director of Forest Conservation, Ms. Irene Ogbebor) for proper briefing, selection of suitable project site and decision on desired species for planting. Thereafter, arrangements for site demarcation, site survey, land clearing/preparation, and acquisition of seedlings for planting were made. Other activities included the fencing of the planting site and the provision of a water source.
The planting site is located in the Forest Reserve of Iguobazuwa Village, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State. Most of the workers on site were sourced from the village while a few others were from the Forestry Field Office of the Federal Ministry of Environment in Benin City. The Federal Controller of Environment in Benin City plaid a very vital role in the whole arrangement for our field activities and we are very appreciative of his support. As at the end of November 2019, the second weeding and fire-tracing have been completed and the planted tree seedlings were doing fine.
Unlike the previous afforestation programmes, one unique aspect of this afforestation programme is the arrangement for sustainability. By this, the Contractor is expected to maintain the planted stock for three years before final hand over to the State Ministry of Environment. Since it may not be easy to tie down the Contractor for the period of three years, the Federal Department of Forestry has come up with the idea of pulling part of the contract sum into the Forestry Trust Fund to ensure post-planting maintenance and security for the three year period.
Below, our company photographers were on hand to capture the best possible impression from the field.
