Climate Change: NGO empowers 34,000 Nasarawa smallholder farmers with tree seedlings

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By our correspondent, Lafia

In a bid to tackle the issues of climate change in Nasarawa State, a Non-Governmental Organization, One Acre Fund, Nigeria has commenced the distribution of 938,000 Albizia Lebbeck tree seedlings to 34,000 smallholder farmers in the state.

One Acre Fund is a nonprofit development organisation that supports farmers in Nigeria by providing them with access to high-quality agricultural inputs to end poverty, hunger and generally improving the livelihoods of farmers.

Speaking at the flag off of the exercise in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of the state, the Trees Lead of the organisation, Zainab Haruna, explained that the gesture was done to reduce the devastating effects of climate change in the state.

She narrated that tree planting was part of the avenues the organisation uses to support farmers to continue to feed themselves, their families and generally enjoy financial stability.

She said, “We have seen changes on our lands as climate change continues to have negative effects on them by damaging nutrients within the soil and affecting rain falls, among other challenges that our farmers face on a regular basis.

“We are offering this program as a way to cushion them (Farmers) from some of these effects, and to ensure that they are able to continue to get harvest from their farmlands, while giving them alternative sources of income.

“The farmers will be able to harvest the trees when they reach maturity. Apart from the environmental benefits which include protecting their lands from erosion, they will be able to sell some of the trees for furniture purposes, among other benefits that they can get from it.”

While narrating that the organisation raised the seedlings in 51 communities in the state, the One Acre Fund Trees Lead further mentioned the benefiting LGAs of the empowerment programe to include Nasarawa Eggon, Obi and Lafia.

“The seedlings are being distributed free of charge. We are therefore appealing to the smallholder farmers to plant the seedlings and take care of them because we believe that in the coming years, the trees would serve as an additional source of income that could sustain them and their families,” Haruna added.

On his part, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Yakubu Kwanta who was represented by the Director, Climate Change in the ministry, Angbashim Ishaku commended One Acre Fund, Nigeria for the empowerment programe.

He further reiterated the state government’s commitment to continue to support and partner organisations that are making efforts to mitigate the issues of climate change in the state.

“By planting trees, the negative effects of climate change will be greatly reduced. I therefore call on the benefing communities to plant the tree seedlings and nurture them to ensure that they mature at the appropriate time,” he added.

In his speech, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed Usman who was represented by the Assistant Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Usman Isah, urged the beneficiaries not to sale the tree seedlings, but make good use of them to improve their livelihoods.

One of the beneficiaries who spoke on behalf of the others, Ovey Garus, thanked One Acre Fund, Nigeria for the empowerment program, and promised to make good use of the Albizia Lebbeck tree seedlings.