Association Restores 200 Hectares of Forest in C’River, Targets 2m Seedlings
The Process Wood Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (PROWPMAN) says it has restored 200 hectares of degraded forest land and planted 80,000 economic trees in Cross River, as part of efforts to promote sustainable forestry and combat climate change.
The association disclosed this at the national unveiling and restoration milestone ceremony of its Sustainable Green Project (SGP), held on Saturday at Mfamosing, Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.
PROWPMAN National President, Chief Oyaleke Ademola, said the project, which began in June 2025, covered Mfamosing, Camp 2 and Abinti communities in Akamkpa.
He said the association was targeting two million seedlings by 2027, adding that the initiative was designed to restore degraded forests, protect the resources on which the timber industry depended and improve rural livelihoods.
“Today is not just a ceremony; it is a statement that the wood industry of Nigeria is ready to move from exploitation to restoration, from deforestation to afforestation, and from consumption to sustainability,” Ademola said.
He said the project was being implemented in collaboration with the Cross River State Government, the state Forestry Commission, the Forestry Association of Nigeria and other stakeholders.
Ademola identified African mahogany, teak, bush mango, obeche, Albizia lebbeck and opepe as the six economic tree species selected for the programme because of their environmental and economic benefits.
He said the trees were expected to support carbon sequestration, provide timber and non-timber forest products, create jobs and improve the livelihoods of host communities.
According to him, the reported survival rate of the planted trees increased from 65 per cent in 2025 to 93 per cent in 2026, attributing the improvement to community participation and protection of the plantations.
He, however, identified inadequate funding, bush burning and the high cost of transporting materials to remote forest locations as challenges facing the programme.
Ademola appealed to the state government to institutionalise the restoration model across the three senatorial districts and urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to support the association in accessing the National Afforestation Fund and international climate finance.
He also urged PROWPMAN members nationwide to replicate the initiative, noting that the association had undertaken afforestation activities in Ekiti, Ogun, Adamawa, Taraba, Kogi and Oyo states.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, Dr George O’ben-Etchi, said the project was part of the state government's efforts to restore degraded, forests and establish sustainable forestry practices.
O’ben-Etchi said the government had allocated 5,000 hectares of land to PROWPMAN for restoration activities across the state's three senatorial districts.
He explained that the allocation comprised 2,000 hectares in one senatorial district and 1,500 hectares each in the other two districts.
According to him, the commission sought partnerships with organisations willing to invest in forest restoration and demonstrate practical approaches to sustainable forest management.
“We needed to have a place where we can say for sure that we've done afforestation, reclaimed the land, and we have something to show,” he said.
The governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, represented by the Chairman of the Cross River State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Forestry, Hon. Bette Obi, said the initiative aligned with the state's sustainable forest management policy.
Obi said properly managed forests could protect the environment and provide economic opportunities for rural residents, including widows and other vulnerable members of host communities.
He stressed the need to replace harvested trees with new ones to maintain the productive capacity of forests.
“As you cut, you plant. You cut one, you plant four or five. That's what Cross River State is up to,” he said.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, Hon. Ovat Agbor, called for stronger enforcement of forestry regulations and appropriate sanctions against illegal forest exploitation.
Agbor said sustainable forest management required regulated harvesting, replanting, and effective monitoring, adding that a blanket prohibition on forest activities was not sufficient to address forest degradation.
He urged the government to provide the Forestry Commission with the personnel and institutional support needed to manage the state's forest resources effectively.
NAN
