By Choice Ebuwa
The Edo State President Of Sawmillers Association, Comrade Friday E. Aiguokhian, has disclosed that the association is actively partnering with the state government and private investors to promote forest regeneration, while also highlighting major challenges affecting the initiative.
Speaking during an interview, Friday revealed that at a recent stakeholders meeting involving a palm oil investor in Edo State, about 5,000 seedlings were donated by Okomu Oil Palm Company to support reforestation efforts.
According to him, the Sawmillers Association is currently managing the seedlings as part of its contribution to restoring degraded forest areas.
“As major stakeholders in the timber industry, we are collaborating with the Edo State Government through the Forestry Commission to regenerate our forests,” he said.
He, however, noted that the 5,000 seedlings donated are insufficient to cover large areas, explaining that they cannot plant up to 200 hectares with the current supply.
Friday further disclosed that the state government has mandated forest regeneration across all local government areas, with the Sawmillers Association assigned one square mile in each council area for reforestation. He said the association began its regeneration programme about eight to ten years ago and has since established several regeneration sites across the state. These include Egbo-Isi Village in Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Okuokhuo Village in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, and Iguobazuwa in Ovia South-West Local Government Area Of Edo State.
Describing the process as capital intensive, Friday emphasized that while planting trees is relatively easy, ensuring their survival remains a significant challenge.“Regeneration is not just about planting; maintaining the trees is the most difficult part,” he stated.
He further identified key challenges facing the programme to include; frequent fire outbreaks and the invasion of forest areas by herdsmen, which have made it unsafe for farm caretakers to remain on-site.
“When caretakers are absent and there is a fire outbreak, the chances of losing the entire plantation are very high,” he explained.
The association president also cited inadequate funding as a major constraint, noting that regeneration efforts are largely financed through contributions from members, including taxes imposed on sawmillers and other timber stakeholders.
On the role of government officials, Friday acknowledged that area forest officers are doing their best despite limited resources. However, he pointed out that they lack adequate logistics to access forest locations and are not equipped with protective gear or security support.
According to him, Rongtai Industry has been mandated by the government to regenerate about three square miles of forest in Isi Village, Uhunmwode Local Government Area. He also disclosed that the government has allocated areas such as Obagie/Oke axis to Seplat Energy as part of its regeneration initiatives, describing the location as a conservation zone.
Friday commended the Edo State Government for taking steps to improve the situation by involving private companies in the regeneration programme and also thanked the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo for his commitment to environmental sustainability and forest conservation across the state.
