Vice-President Shettima says FG will plant 20 billion trees next rainy season, aligning environmental efforts with job creation and climate resilience

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]lant 20 billion trees is the Federal Government’s new ambitious target for the next rainy season, according to Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

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He announced the plan during a working tour of Ethiopia’s agricultural and industrial sectors, highlighting the government’s renewed commitment to environmental sustainability and economic transformation.

The vice-president described the reforestation plan as a critical component of the nation’s broader green strategy. Speaking in Addis Ababa,

Shettima praised Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, launched during his visit, as a model worth replicating.

“We intend to plant 20 billion trees in the next rainy season,” Shettima said. “It requires a lot of planning, energy, and drive, which Ethiopia was able to galvanise its population into doing.”

Shettima, who visited several agro-industrial projects including Adama Dairy Farms and Shera Dibandiba Mojo Family Integrated Farm, stressed that Nigeria must harness similar energy to restore degraded landscapes and create green jobs.

According to him, the Ethiopian model shows how environmental restoration can be aligned with economic growth and poverty alleviation.

He noted that Ethiopia’s success in achieving wheat self-sufficiency, having moved from a \$1 billion annual import bill to exporting to Djibouti and Kenya, is a transformation worthy of emulation.

“The real economic renaissance of Africa is in the offing,” Shettima added. “Ethiopia has become the pathfinder, the front runner in us reclaiming our pride and our continent.”

He pointed out that if Nigeria and Ethiopia work harmoniously, the entire continent will benefit. “Jointly, the two of us constitute over 350 million people, more than the population of the United States.

We have to make these two countries work for the betterment of our continent,” he said.

Also speaking, Dr Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, described the visit as a game changer.

He reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s interest in replicating Ethiopia’s agricultural success in Nigeria.

“President Tinubu has a whole lot of respect for the people of Ethiopia. Why we came here is to understudy what we have seen and report back to him. I believe that he will replicate this in a much stronger and bolder scope,” Uzoma said.

He confirmed that Nigeria’s economic diversification strategy would include boosting agricultural exports such as avocado, pineapple, mango, cashew, and cocoa to reduce oil dependency.

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The tree planting initiative is expected to support climate resilience, reduce deforestation, and provide employment opportunities across the country, aligning with global sustainability goals.