The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is set to restore 18,000 hectares of degraded land in Cross River and Ondo states to support sustainable cocoa and oil palm cultivation. This initiative aims to attract $200 million in investments to Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
Ms. Nifesimi Ogunkua, FAO’s Climate Change Specialist, revealed this during a four-day Participatory Informed Landscape Approach (PILA) Workshop in Calabar.
Under the project, 10,800 hectares in Cross River and 8,000 hectares in Ondo will be rehabilitated using regenerative agriculture and forestry techniques.
The initiative aims to achieve several key objectives, including the development of two Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) frameworks at the state level, the creation of four integrated land-use plans at the local government level, and the enhancement of four gender-sensitive policies, regulations, and financing frameworks to promote sustainable land management.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its partners will support the restoration of 18,000 hectares of land across two states to facilitate the sustainable cultivation of cocoa and oil palm.
The project’s key objectives include establishing two Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) frameworks at the state level and developing four integrated land-use plans at the local government level.
Additionally, it seeks to enhance at least four gender-sensitive policies, regulations, and financing frameworks at both the state and federal levels.
Another major goal is to attract up to $200 million in private and public investments to strengthen the sustainable cocoa and oil palm value chain.
Ogunkua emphasized that the initiative also aims to bridge the gaps identified by the Federal Government concerning compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Backed by funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and FAO, the initiative is focused on advancing integrated landscape management.
The project aims to empower smallholder farmers by promoting sustainable land management practices, strengthening land tenure systems, and improving women’s access to land.
Additionally, it emphasizes environmentally responsible cocoa and oil palm production to support long-term sustainability.
