In a strategic move to enhance agricultural practices and rehabilitate degraded lands in vulnerable ecological zones, Nigeria has announced a new partnership with the United Kingdom’s Zander Corporation.
The collaboration is reinforced by a generous donation from Zander Corporation, amounting to £250,000 (approximately N504 million) in state-of-the-art afforestation technology products.
The commitment was made during a meeting in Abuja between members of Zander Corporation, including Lord Raymond Benedict Asquith, the 3rd Earl of Oxford and a member of the UK House of Lords, and Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The details of the partnership wereVice President Shettima emphasized the federal government’s unwavering dedication to afforestation, highlighting its significance as a pivotal strategy for combating desertification, promoting sustainable land use, and ensuring long-term agricultural productivity.
“Innovative technology plays a crucial role in our efforts to tackle desertification and transform agriculture in Nigeria,” he remarked.
He underscored the importance of leveraging the potential of a five-hectare pilot project and proposed diversifying activities to include vegetable production and high-demand tree crops, such as cashews.
“We are poised to capitalize on this opportunity, and I assure you of the full support of the federal government,” he stated.
Shettima also expressed confidence in Sokoto State’s commitment to the initiative and anticipated similar engagement from the governments of Borno and Katsina.
Furthermore, the Vice President praised Lord Oxford’s commitment to training Nigerian agronomists to implement the technology effectively, noting the interconnectedness of ecology and economy in northern Nigeria.
He emphasized that Zander Corporation’s innovative technology could be a “saving grace” for the region.
In his remarks, Lord Oxford reiterated Zander Corporation’s long-standing commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural enhancement, citing over 12 years of operations within the country.
He highlighted the donation aimed at deploying their products in several northern states to demonstrate the impactful results achievable through agricultural and environmental initiatives.
Lord Oxford shared the company’s success stories from arid regions, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Libya, where their technology has significantly cut irrigation costs and fostered sustainable vegetation growth in dry soils.
He said: “Nigeria represents a prime opportunity for our operations.
The country is primed for the transformative results we have delivered elsewhere.” He also revealed plans for local manufacturing of Zander products in Nigeria, which would help lower costs and create jobs, asserting that Nigeria’s extensive land resources make it an ideal site for such investments.
Additionally, Saleh Abubakar, Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, confirmed the agency’s commitment to deploying Zander Corporation’s technology, announcing the establishment of a committee to oversee the initiative.
“We are piloting this project in Katsina, Borno, and Sokoto states, with five hectares of land already prepared for implementation,” he noted, emphasizing the aim to directly benefit communities affected by desertification.
(Report Afrique)
