The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has announced plans to restore 18,000 hectares of degraded land in Cross River and Ondo states to support sustainable cocoa and oil palm cultivation. The initiative, aimed at attracting up to $200 million in investment into Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, will rehabilitate 10,800 hectares in Cross River and 8,000 hectares in Ondo using regenerative agriculture and forestry practices.
FAO Climate Change Specialist, Nifesimi Ogunkua, revealed this during a four-day FAO Participatory Informed Landscape Approach (PILA) Workshop in Calabar, highlighting the project’s role in addressing land degradation while promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The intervention seeks to establish two Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) frameworks at the state level and develop four integrated land-use plans at the local government level. Additionally, it will strengthen four gender-sensitive policies, regulations, and financing frameworks to enhance sustainable land management.
A key aspect of the initiative is its alignment with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a growing concern for Nigerian agricultural exports. Ogunkua emphasized that the project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and FAO, would empower smallholder farmers by promoting sustainable land management practices, improving land tenure security, and expanding women’s access to land ownership. The goal is to ensure environmentally responsible cocoa and oil palm production while enhancing Nigeria’s agricultural competitiveness.
The project has drawn support from key stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Iyabo Mustapha, Assistant Director of Land, Environment, and Climate Change, underscored its importance in helping smallholder farmers comply with the EUDR, ensuring continued access to European markets. She warned that neglecting environmental concerns could have severe consequences for future generations, stressing that the ministry is introducing additional support measures to assist farmers in adopting sustainable practices.
“If we fail to address these environmental concerns, the long-term impact could be detrimental—we may not have a viable environment for future generations,” Mustapha cautioned.
Local leaders have also welcomed the initiative. Beatrice Nyiam, Chairman of Boki Local Government Area in Cross River State, highlighted the region’s struggles with deforestation and excessive agricultural chemical use. She expressed optimism that the FAO-backed restoration efforts would help rebuild the area’s ecological balance, offering farmers a more sustainable future.
With agriculture playing a critical role in Nigeria’s economy, FAO’s intervention is expected to drive long-term benefits by restoring degraded landscapes, improving land governance, and positioning the country’s cocoa and oil palm industries for sustainable growth in global markets.
