The Federal Government is to establish a wood technology park for the training of wood technicians.
It has also concluded plans to embark on the mass plantation of timber across the country.
It is to establish this through its Raw Materials Research and Development Council, as the move will help in the provision of raw materials for the wood and wood products.
Organisers of the Wood Expo Nigeria disclosed this in a communique put together from the WEN 2.0 event in Abuja and made available to journalists at a press conference to announce 2022 edition of the expo coming up in Lagos in November.
The communique read in part, “The Expo noted and commended the Raw Materials Research and Development Council’s initiatives of proposing to jointly establish wood technology park for training of wood technicians.
“It also noted the proposed mass plantation establishment (by the RMRDC) across the country for sustainable provision of raw materials for the wood and wood products, pulp and paper industries, as well as for environmental protection.”
The communique pointed out that the objective of the expo was to promote sustainable use of forest resources as well as wood and wood products through the entire value chain in the sector while working out economic strategies for effective competition in the global market.
The forum noted the increasing environmental threats the country was facing as a result of forest depletion and the need to map out effective strategies to mitigate climate change effects.
The expo organisers noted and lamented that there was currently no certified forest in Nigeria, which queried the legality of forest resources in the international market.
Speaking to reporters at the press briefing in Abuja, the Chairman, Wood Expo Nigeria, Danny Sokari-George, said there was a need to have certified forests in order to meet the Federal Government’s 25 million tree planting policy, which he said was achievable.
He stated that in order to plant the 25 million trees across the country, WEN would partner with state governments and engage youths to create jobs from the value chain. He said, “WEN has a vision of partnering state governors to help the Federal Government realise its plan of planting 25 million trees.
“It is not a waste of time to secure land and plant trees because when you plant trees today, there are ready buyers to buy it off here in Nigeria and abroad. And biologically, it is beneficial to the environment.
“We will engage the youth in planting trees because it will be beneficial to both parties. The youths will benefit economically and it will also help us solve forest depletion in Nigeria.”