The Food and Agricultural Organisation, FAO, of the United Nations, has undertaken an tour of its projects and programmes areas in Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
The team lead for Climate Change, Environment and Biodiversity at FAO Nigeria, Mrs Nifesimi Ogunkua, was in Cross River State on a five day supervisory and stakeholders’ engagement visit to ongoing projects in Akamkpa, Boki and parts of Odukpani local government areas.
During an interview with some journalists in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, Mrs. Ogunkua said that the FAO was committed to regenerating the mangrove forest by creating an alternative livelihood economy for 50 communities across 5 local government areas.
She said that to achieve its purpose, the FAO trained selected women in Creek Town, a mangrove landscape dependent community located within Odukpani local government area on alternative livelihood skills as well as held meetings the community leaders, noting ‘the meeting was rewarding as the focus was on the resto
ration of the environment about to commence in the community.’
According to her, ‘to support the community, some livelihood equipment have already been procured such as aquaculture kits that include fish fiber tanks, fingerlings and fish feed to ensure sustainable aquaculture production. We have also procured oven for fish processing to further minimise pressure on the mangrove forest.’
Continuing, Ogunkua said, ‘The intervention is targeted across 50 communities, 10 communities in one local government area because we are operating within 5 local government areas. The communities are keenly awaiting and we are hoping that by September 2024, we would have the opportunity to showcase and install these equipment.’
Agroforestry practices
The FAO climate change expert further explained that the organisation was supporting small holders farmers in Boki and Akamkpa on agroforestry practices, saying, ‘in Boki and Akamkpa we have an established seedlings nursery, not just for restoration, but for small holder farm
ers particularly in cocoa and oil palm to promote agroforestry.
‘So, this is the direction for small holder farmers such that during off season for cocoa and oil palm fruiting, they have alternative trees that would give them additional income,’ she explained further.
She also explained, ‘the FAO has four projects and programmes being implemented across 8 local government areas in Cross River State under the global environment facility food system, land use integrated programme (FOLUR) to support sustainable cocoa, oil palm and coffee management.
‘The Cross River State agriculture strategic plan, which prioritises cocoa, oil palm and coffee and aligns with FAO programmes. We are in Cross River State on a technical mission to supervise and assess what has been delivered on ground to ensure it aligns with the work plan of all the projects and ascertain that activities are implemented as stipulated in the project document,’ she reiterated.
Seamless cooperation
In separate interactive sessions with the Cross
River State deputy governor, Mr. Peter Odey and the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation, Mr Johnson Ebokpo, Mrs. Ogunkua commended the government for providing the enabling environment for the FAO team to function.
Ogunkua said ‘we want to acknowledge the enabling environment the Cross River State government is providing to the team on groun. The synergy between the government and the team as well the transparency and openness – in summary the cooperation and work has been seamless and very good, it has been yielding results’.
In his remarks, the deputy governor, Mr. Dr, Odey reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to the FOLUR project and reiterated the priorities places on sustainable cocoa, oil palm and coffee value chains.
Source: Voice of Nigeria