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MAKURDI The National Project Coordinator (NPC), Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), Abdulhamid Umar, has urged Nigerians to take advantage of the potentials availed through Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) that would lead to sustainable development and empowerment.
He explained that this was necessary because NTFP, plays a vital role in the livelihood of millions of people, particularly people in rural and forest dependent communities.
The Coordinator disclosed this at a training on Value Chain Development for NTFP, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with ACReSAL, for participants from 8 Northern states, including Benue in Makurdi on Monday.
He further argued that the development of NTFP value chain would not only contribute to economic empowerment but would also serve to promote environmental conservation and resilience.
Represented at the occasion by Ruth Oghale, the Drought and Desertification Control Specialist, ACReSAL, Abuja, Umar said, “As we all know, non-timber forest products play a vital role in the livelihood of millions of people, particularly those residing in rural and forest dependent communities.
“Let’s unlock the potential of the Non timber forest product for sustainable development and community empowerment.
“The sustainable development of NTFP value chain not only contributes to economic empowerment but also promotes environmental conservation and resilience which is one of key components of the efforts under the ACReSAL project.
“This training marks an important milestone in our collective journey towards sustainable forest management and community livelihood improvement. NTFP’s play a vital role in enhancing biodiversity, promoting eco-friendly enterprises and generating income for rural communities.
“By focusing on best practices on NTFP development, innovative productivity, towards generating employment and contributing to the overall goal of sustainable landscape management practices in Nigeria semi-arid region.
“Together we can build a more resilient future for our communities, protecting our natural resources while creating opportunities for growth” Umar stated.
In his goodwill message, the Country Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO UN), Dominic Kofi, said, “This workshop marks an important step in our ongoing efforts to promote sustainable forestry practices that not only protect our environment but also improve the livelihoods of communities across the 19 states of the Acresal Project.
“NTFPs are key resources for many rural households, providing food, income, and employment, while contributing to the conservation of our forests.
“Today, we are gathered to strengthen our capacity to sustainably manage, harvest, and market these valuable resources. This training has been designed to equip participants with practical skills and knowledge, that would enable you all to leverage NTFPs in ways that are economically beneficial while preserving biodiversity.”
Furthermore, Kofi, who was represented at the event by Precious Agbesor, the Focus Person for the ACReSAL collaboration with the FAO, UN, said, “In every community NTFP exists; you can talk of the gum arabic, the shere butter and other plants that can be used for medicinal purpose. So by the end of this program we hope that participants’ skills and capacity would have been developed.
“We expect that at the end of this training participants should be able to know how to harvest, process package and even export these NTFPs and that will alleviate a lot of suffering for our communities and people who do not have jobs to be able to cash into these activities.
“So we are here in Benue as part of our responsibility in the ACReSAL project to restore 350,000 hectares of degraded
land and when you restore this land
“For us in FAO, we remain committed to advancing sustainable agriculture and forestry in Nigeria. We recognize the critical role that NTFPs play in reducing poverty, enhancing food security, and supporting rural development.
“Through workshops like this, we aim to create lasting impact by empowering communities to harness the potential of their natural resources responsibly and effectively”, he observed. End.
