The Ondo State Government has announced plans to plant 10 million trees across its forest reserves as part of efforts to restore degraded lands and promote sustainable forestry management.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Olaleye Akinola, disclosed this at a news conference on Friday in Akure, the state capital.
Akinola said the government had begun establishing nurseries across the state to raise seedlings for the project, adding that some of the seedlings would be distributed free to farmers.
He, however, noted that the farms would be monitored for two years to ensure proper supervision and survival of the trees.
“Ondo State Government will not leave replanting in the hands of those who contributed to deforestation without proper supervision,” he said.
“This administration is fully committed to balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability.
We are taking these steps to secure our forests, protect our climate, and sustain livelihoods for generations to come.”
The commissioner stressed that there was no going back on the state’s forest policy, adding that only cocoa farmers who integrate tree planting into their farms would be allowed to remain in government forest reserves.
According to him, the state’s new forestry framework mandates every farmer to pay a levy of N250,000 per hectare, N150,000 for polygon mapping, and N100,000 for agro-forest registration — all aimed at covering operational costs and aligning Ondo’s cocoa production with international standards.
Akinola warned that cocoa produced in the state could be rejected in the global market if farmers failed to comply with traceability and environmental standards by December 2025.
“The policy, which began in 2020, was meant to take full effect in 2024 but has now been extended to 2025.
It ensures that all cocoa, cashew, and rubber farmers are properly mapped and registered. By December 2025, only farmers with traceable farms will be eligible to sell their produce in line with global and European Union sustainability requirements,” he said.
He explained that the initiative was not meant to punish farmers but to protect the future of agriculture in the state and maintain access to international markets that now demand proof of deforestation-free products.
Akinola also revealed that the state government was drafting a new legislation to be forwarded to the House of Assembly for the categorisation of forest areas into three distinct zones: the Core Zone for tree planting and regeneration, the Sustainability Zone for regulated agricultural activities such as cocoa and rice farming, and the Buffer Zone reserved for future agricultural expansion.
He said mapping and monitoring of forest reserves were ongoing, with the government partnering accredited firms to deploy advanced technology for farm traceability.
“To support farmers, all annual revenue collection relating to this process has been suspended until next year to ease their participation in the ongoing reforms,” the commissioner added.