The National President of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), Alphonsus Inyang, has said Nigeria can generate wealth beyond oil from tree crops if the Federal Government adopts the right policy approach and commits to focused development of the sector.
He stated that plantation and tree crops offer sustainable economic opportunities that could reshape the country’s agricultural and industrial landscape over the next few years.
Inyang urged the Federal Government to prioritise the development of this segment of agriculture, saying it holds the potential to contribute over N200 trillion to the national economy within three years.
He emphasised that with the right framework, plantation crops such as oil palm, cocoa, cashew, coconut, rubber, tea, coffee, bamboo and shea could become a major source of income, job creation, and industrial growth.
According to him, one of the immediate steps the government should take is to identify and support select crops that are well suited to Nigeria’s climate and soil conditions.
He proposed that 2.5 million households across the country be encouraged to plant 150 oil palm trees each within their homesteads and nearby communities. This, he said, could alone support the growth of a N20 trillion economy anchored on oil palm.
Despite the availability of suitable land and favourable growing conditions, Inyang noted that the economic potential of tree crops has remained underexploited for years. He warned that without strategic planning and active government involvement, Nigeria will continue to fall short of the benefits associated with these long-term crops. These include income diversification, availability of raw materials for industry, and support for climate-related goals.
He described plantation crops as long-term national assets capable of supporting economic resilience and rural livelihoods if developed properly. He called on President Bola Tinubu to establish a National Plantation and Tree Crops Development Council to coordinate investments, research, and technical support across the country.
Inyang explained that such a council would serve as a central platform for managing farmer outreach, supporting agro-industrial value chains, and mobilising resources to scale up tree crop production nationwide. He cited the recently inaugurated National Livestock Development Council as a model that could be replicated for plantation agriculture.
NPPAN, he added, is ready to work closely with the Federal Government to bring this proposal to life. According to him, the country must return to its roots in tree crop production, which in the past brought in substantial foreign exchange before the oil boom diverted attention from agriculture.
