1 month ago
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Ferdinand Edesiri Olori Foundation has commenced planting 20 million cash crop trees nationwide.
Speaking with South-South PUNCH on Tuesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, the founder, Mr Ferdinand Olori, said the gesture was to bring back Nigeria which was known for cocoa, palm oil and groundnut.
Olori, who called on government at all levels, corporate organizations and individuals to join hands in partnership to achieve the dream, and eventually boost the Nigerian economy and green environment, said, “My foundation is planning to plant 20 million cash crop and food crop trees nationwide. I am talking to people to help achieve this dream.
“I have already started planting in my village in Ugheli North Local Government Area of Delta State. By the grace of God, I will launch it next month November.
“We are known in the 60s, 70s even 80s with cocoa, palm oil, groundnut and other cash crop trees. Nigeria was at the top in terms of large quantities, but now Nigeria is nowhere to be found.
“Check some of our currency in the past, like 10 kobo, you see palm trees drawn on it, 25 kobo, you will see groundnut pyramid and so on.
“The move will be a great achievement, but I know it is not an easy thing to plant 20 million trees, collectively, we will achieve the dream.
“Even though it will take me 20 years to achieve this dream of planting 20 million trees, I will do it, so I’m calling on the government, private organizations and individuals to partner with us to achieve it”
Olori, a non-academic staff of the Federal Government Girls College, Ibusa, Delta State, urged states to make lands available, noting that the initiative would grow Nigeria’s economy again and in turn address the high rate of dollar to naira due to rate of importation.
