By Nnaemeka Onyeka Obiaraeri
The other day, the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Buni, asked residents of the state to plant trees to avert desertification. The governor does not need to simply ask people to plant trees to stop desert encroachment in the state. Instead, he and his brother-governors in the 36 sates of Nigeria should provide the policy framework, programme and funding arrangement support to the people in a more scientific manner to create jobs and wealth for all the stakeholders.
If Buni and other governors do not know how to go about this, let me help them, on pro bono, with a simple concept that will not only stop desert encroachment but also create jobs, security and wealth in Nigeria.
For instance, if the 19 northern state governors decide today to scientifically partner the African Development Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria to plant three million new date palm trees of the sweet flavouring Medjool species in each state in 2021/2022, by 2028/2029, we will have 57 million fully grown and producing date palms, developed in 9,500 clusters of (40 hectares each) covering a total of 380,000 hectares of saved lands.
These 9,500 clusters will produce a combined output of at least 4.5 million tons of date palm fruits annually, while creating directly over one million jobs and two million indirect jobs in the plantation and 9,500 processing warehouses for the date palm fruits sorting.
At the current market price of $2,850 for a ton of the date fruits, whose annual demand is expected to grow by CGAR of 7.5% into 2030 in the global commodities market, we are looking at a potential annual gross revenue of over $12.99 billion within the next seven to eight years into the next 50 years.
Rather than daily disturb our peace with endless open chants of Ruga, grazing reserve and routes wahala, the Federal Government can guarantee a 25-year debt funding of $2.5bn from the AfDB in partnership with the 19 state governors under a PPP framework to kick-start this sustainable agro revolutionary scheme. Each of these 9,500 clusters of 40 hectares each date palm orchards will provide all the needed shared power, water, foliage, grazing, security and ranching facility / infrastructure supports for at least 1,000 to 2,000 cows.
The 17 southern governors in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria under the same PPP framework will follow the same project design and execution architecture to plant 51million trees of the high yielding hybrid tenera palm trees in their states.
This one will help to cover the existing palm oil and palm kernel oil domestic supply gap within the next five years and generate gross revenues in excess of $5billion. Our major challenge today in Nigeria is that we have leaders who have deliberately refused to think long term and do the right things. We are also saddled with followers, who worship and follow these political leaders gullibly without asking the right questions.
God has ALREADY helped us in Nigeria. Let’s honestly help ourselves and rescue the 100 million extreme poor Nigerians, by collectively pursuing honest and value-adding borrowings and schemes.
Dr. Nnaemeka Onyeka Obiaraeri
Ikoyi, Lagos State.