The Ondo State Government has announced plans to plant 10 million trees across its forest reserves as part of a renewed afforestation drive aimed at restoring degraded forest areas and promoting environmental sustainability.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Olaleye Akinola, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Akure.
Akinola said nurseries were being established across the state to raise seedlings for the exercise, adding that some of the seedlings would be distributed free to farmers under a supervised replanting scheme.
“Ondo State Government will not leave replanting in the hands of those who contributed to deforestation without proper supervision.
“This administration is fully committed to balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability.
“We are taking these steps to secure our forests, protect our climate, and sustain livelihoods for generations to come,” he said.
The commissioner reaffirmed that the government would fully enforce its forest policy, stressing that only cocoa farmers who planted trees within their farms would be allowed to continue operating in government forest reserves.
According to him, the state’s forest management framework requires each farmer to pay ₦250,000 per hectare, ₦150,000 for polygon mapping, and ₦100,000 for agro-forest maintenance.
“Cocoa from Ondo State will not be allowed into global market if the forest policy is not properly carried out by December 2025.
“The policy started in 2020, and was to take full effect in 2024 but extended to 2025. It aims at ensuring that all cocoa, cashew and rubber farmers are properly mapped and registered.
“By December, only cocoa farmers with traceable farms will be eligible to sell their produce in line with global market and European Union traceability standards.
“This initiative is not about punishing anyone. It is about protecting the future of our farmers and meeting global sustainability requirements.
“We cannot continue to lose our forest cover while expecting to sell to international buyers who now demand proof of deforestation-free products,” the commissioner said.
Akinola also revealed that the state government was working on a new legislation to be forwarded to the House of Assembly for the categorisation of forest areas into three zones: the Core Zone, Sustainability Zone, and Buffer Zone.
He explained that the Core Zone would focus on tree planting and regeneration, the Sustainability Zone would accommodate regulated farming activities such as cocoa and rice cultivation, while the Buffer Zone would be reserved for future agricultural expansion.
The commissioner added that mapping and monitoring activities were already underway with accredited firms using advanced technology to ensure farm traceability.
“All yearly revenue collection relating to the process has been suspended until next year to ease farmers’ participation in the ongoing process,” he said.