Forest reserves key to tackling insecurity – NALDA
NALDA Unveils Initiative to Reclaim Abandoned Forest Reserves
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The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has announced a new strategy aimed at reclaiming neglected forest reserves throughout Nigeria. The initiative is designed to transform these lands into productive agricultural and environmental assets, addressing issues of insecurity, boosting food production, generating employment, and enhancing climate resilience.
Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, disclosed the plan during a recent inspection of the agency’s Green Hope Horticulture Project in the Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Adebayo noted that many forest reserves in Nigeria have become unmonitored spaces, allowing them to serve as refuge for criminal elements due to years of neglect.
“We are collaborating with state governments to reclaim abandoned forest reserves,” he said. “In Kwara State, for example, we are partnering with the Association of Cashew Processors to develop plantations that will supply their factories.”
The initiative aligns with one of NALDA’s statutory responsibilities focused on the development of forest and grazing reserves. Adebayo emphasized the agency’s commitment to working with state governments, private investors, and international partners to revitalize idle land for productive use.
The reclaimed forest reserves are expected to host various projects, including agroforestry initiatives, tree crop plantations, and carbon credit schemes. These efforts aim to enhance agricultural output while protecting the environment and mitigating criminal activity.
“The abandonment of these lands has contributed to their use as hideouts for criminals,” Adebayo stated. “Our mandate is to restore these lands to productive use, making them actively cultivated and managed.”
Kwara State is a focal point of this initiative, where NALDA is set to develop approximately 18,000 hectares into a large-scale cashew plantation. This project is intended to support local processing industries and create job opportunities for surrounding communities.
“Through this partnership, we aim to provide raw materials for local factories, create employment, and curb criminal activities within the reserve,” Adebayo added.
He highlighted that reclaiming these forest reserves would not only enhance agricultural production but also reduce spaces available for criminal operations.
In addition to addressing security and food production, Adebayo noted the initiative contributes to NALDA’s broader environmental sustainability agenda. The authority plans to plant over one million trees by 2030 across its horticulture projects, aiming to restore degraded landscapes, improve climate resilience, and promote low-carbon agricultural practices.
“By 2030, NALDA is dedicated to planting more than one million trees as part of our commitment to environmental sustainability and low-carbon agricultural development,” Adebayo said.
He emphasized that this climate initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to integrate environmental sustainability with food security and rural economic growth.
“We are combining agricultural development with environmental sustainability and economic empowerment, as they are interconnected,” Adebayo stated. “When idle lands become productive, communities become safer, more prosperous, and resilient.”
Tunde Diya, Chairman of Odogbolu Local Government, expressed his appreciation to NALDA for including the council in the program. He highlighted that the local government has secured around 120 hectares of farmland for women and youth to enhance food production and agribusiness development.
Olusegun Owolabi, Special Assistant (Technical) to the NALDA Executive Secretary, detailed plans for an open-field irrigation system designed to enable beneficiaries to grow various vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers, while minimizing post-harvest losses through modern farming facilities.
