By Abbas Nazil
The Oyo State Government has launched a 10-year reforestation programme targeting the restoration of degraded forests and the planting of 240 million trees to strengthen environmental sustainability, combat climate change and improve forest management across the state.
The initiative, known as the Oyo State Reforestation Plan (OYRP), is designed to address the extensive loss of forest resources caused by mismanagement, illegal encroachment and other unauthorised activities.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Ademola Aderinto, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting and reforestation summit, where he called for collective responsibility and stronger partnerships to achieve the state’s environmental restoration objectives.
Aderinto explained that the government had identified a deficit of 240 million trees and was committed to addressing the challenge through a coordinated, long-term approach involving government institutions, private organisations, communities and other stakeholders.
He said the reforestation summit would become an annual event to evaluate progress, identify implementation challenges and determine additional measures required to meet the programme’s targets.
The commissioner also emphasised the importance of public participation, describing environmental restoration as a shared responsibility that required sustained cooperation beyond government interventions.
As part of efforts to encourage tree planting among young people, Aderinto said the government would engage schools, train students and provide compensation to institutions that establish and maintain more trees within their premises.
He further disclosed plans to ensure that every National Youth Service Corps member posted to Oyo State plants at least one tree before completing their service year.
According to him, outstanding corps members would receive cash prizes and awards based on the number of trees they plant and successfully maintain.
The commissioner said the government remained open to partnerships that would support forest restoration and promote a safer environment, while appreciating Governor Seyi Makinde for approving the initiative.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Sunday Akinwale Moradeyo, said the relocation of the Forestry Department from the former Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in 2019 had improved its access to government attention, support and resources.
Moradeyo also disclosed that the Director of Forestry would attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference for the first time as part of the state’s delegation, describing the development as an indication of growing recognition of the department’s role in environmental management.
He attributed the progress to the commitment of the commissioner, particularly his consistent support for tree planting and forest protection.
The permanent secretary explained that the reforestation plan was initiated by Aderinto and that the department had also benefited from intervention projects supported by the Federal Ministry of Environment and related agencies.
He maintained that public-private partnerships offered a more sustainable approach to restoring degraded forests, expanding tree cover and returning unproductive lands to beneficial use.
Moradeyo warned that relying exclusively on government ownership and management of forests at the sub-national level was no longer sufficient to address deforestation and forest degradation, particularly because these challenges also threaten the livelihoods of communities and businesses dependent on forest resources.
At the stakeholders’ engagement, themed “Shared Responsibility for a Greener Oyo State: Financing Restoration through Public-Private Partnership”, participants called for regular evaluation and monitoring of existing forest management measures.
They also urged the state government to revive the compartmentalisation system previously used to monitor forest reserves, arguing that improved surveillance and effective management could strengthen security.
Stakeholders noted that properly monitored forests could help address security challenges, including kidnapping, by reducing the opportunities for criminal activities to take place in poorly supervised forest areas.
They further recommended establishing a committee comprising representatives of different forest users to ensure effective coordination and long-term sustainability of the reforestation programme.
Participants expressed their readiness to collaborate with the government in improving forest management and supporting environmental restoration across Oyo State.
The meeting attracted government officials, forestry researchers, environmental organisations, conservation groups, timber contractors, sawmillers, charcoal dealers and representatives of academic institutions, including the University of Ibadan and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
Other participating organisations included the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Nigerian Conservation Foundation and Forestry Association of Nigeria, alongside representatives of relevant state ministries and agencies.
