Osun Govt Commences Ago Owu Reforestation
The Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation in Osun State, Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin has solicited the support of members of the community of Ago Owu forest reserves to ensure that the data gathering and capturing towards getting baseline information to fill the project development document, Project information Note and MOU succeeds.
He said this while declaring the engagement Workshop with the landlord communities of Ago-Owu Forest Reserve. The workshop was geared towards data gathering from the community as it regards the socio-economic component relating to the project, the perception of the communities of the Osun Carbon Investment Project tagged the Ago-Owu Forest Restoration Project (AFRP)
The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Oyegbami while declaring open the AFRP stressed that by embracing policies on climate change and tree planting, residents will benefit from the clean environment and would be safe from all toxic gasses that could be harmful to the society.
He appreciated the members of the community for their eagerness to see that the project succeeds as evidenced by converging in large numbers for the meeting . He advised members of the community to ensure that the trees are protected when they are eventually planted, so that the purpose of planting them would be realized.
The Chairman, of the House Committee on Environment, Honourable Folorunso Ogundare, in his address, advised community members to collaborate and support the government in the area of protecting the trees that will be planted to gain the benefits of the project which will ensure more job opportunities for the members of the community.
The investor representative, Mr. Segun Ademuwagun, The Group CEO of Noblesse Green Energy (NGE), the Nigerian Partner of aDryada, explained the benefits of the project, stating that Osun State is business friendly and endowed with natural resources and that is why the State remains an attraction to investors.
He advised community members to embrace the various policies of the state government, stating that the AFRP project would impact the lives of community members in several positive ways .
The aDryada-NGE Nature Based Solution (NBS) Lead of the Carbon Investment Project, Dr. Edu Effiom, in her goodwill address elaborated on the restoration techniques in the different land-use types in the Ago-Owu Forest reserve and the attendant socio-economic benefits for the Ago-Owu communities. She stressed the benefits of reforestation in boosting the productivity of cocoa as they will thrive better under the covering of trees and attract higher prices in the international market.
In his goodwill message to the people, the representative of the National Council on Climate Change, Mr. Abdullahi Yakubu advised them not to undermine the benefits of reforestation as it brings clean and safe air to the environment. He stressed further that countries around the world now prefer cocoa and other cash crops that are nurtured under the shades of trees as it is of good quality . He reaffirmed the support of the national government for the AFRP.
Hon. Mayowa Adejoorin while playing host to the visiting team comprising representatives of aDryada, Noblesse Green, National Council on Climate Change, and Carbon Experts emphasized the Osun State Government’s commitment to live up to their promises of giving all their support to the carbon investment project pilot in Osun State.
He assured them of the unflinching support of the State Government under the leadership of Asiwaju Ademola Adeleke in providing both human and material support to ensure that reforestation is enthroned in the state to tackle the impact of climate change amongst other benefits. He assured all stakeholders that the State will sustain the enabling environment for green businesses to thrive in Osun State.
While thanking the State Government and the commissioner for the warm reception given them, Mr Segun Ademuwagun said that with the success of the pilot, the State will serve as the reference point for other states in the Country and Africa as a whole. He further said that the host communities in the reserves will be the primary beneficiaries of the project in terms of employment opportunities in addition to the economic and social developments that will accrue .
The NBS Lead for the Carbon Investment Project, Dr. Edu Effiom while explaining their mission to the State, said that they are in the State to present the project to the key stakeholders, the authorities and the communities in order to gather baseline information to support the development of the project development document and other related documents.