By Abdullahi Lukman
The Foundation for Sustainable Smallholder Solutions, FSSS, has planted 12,243 economic and fruit trees across farming communities and secondary schools in Bauchi North as part of efforts to restore degraded land and help farmers adapt to climate change.
The intervention is being implemented under the three-year ESTRRA Project, with support from the HEINEKEN Africa Foundation* and Nigerian Breweries Plc.
According to the project’s Technical Lead and Manager, Timothy Azakere, the agroforestry initiative is designed to improve soil health while creating additional sources of food and income for smallholder farmers.
“The goal is not just to plant trees, but to build systems that restore the land and give farmers more resilience,” Azakere said, adding that “Trees provide shade, improve soil fertility, and offer fruits and products that can be sold or consumed at home.”
He added that the organisation plans to expand the programme in its second phase by distributing another 14,000 seedlings to trained farmers. The overall target under ESTRRA is to plant 24,000 economic trees across the project area.
The agroforestry component, Azakere explained, sits within a broader plan to restore 29,000 hectares of degraded land in Bauchi North through regenerative agriculture, land restoration and climate-smart farming practices.
Agricultural consultant Paul Tamen said participating farmers have received training on good agronomic practices including land mapping, farm layout, appropriate spacing, planting techniques and seedling management.
The first phase covered seven local government areas. More than 70 farmers were trained in agroforestry and eight learning sites were established. A total of 5,673 seedlings were planted at the sites to serve as practical platforms for Farmer Field Schools.
In addition, 6,500 seedlings were distributed to 500 households, with each household receiving 13 seedlings to establish permagardens.
The household permagardens and learning sites accounted for 12,173 trees. Another 70 trees were planted in secondary schools, bringing the first-phase total to 12,243.
The tree species include mango, citrus, guava, cashew, plantain, banana and moringa — all selected for their economic value, nutritional benefits and suitability to the local climate.
With phase two set to begin,FSSS says the focus will be on scaling farmer training, strengthening community ownership, and tracking survival rates to ensure the trees deliver long-term impact for both people and the environment.
