The Federal government has commended Green Sahara Farms for its commitment to regenerating forest area  in the country.

The Minister of State Environment Bar Sharon Ikezor via her twitter handle (@sharon_ikeazor) commended the farm for their effort and activities towards regeneration of landscapes.

Nigeria is said to have lost 96 percent  of her primary forest leading to desertification, loss of ecosystem, loss of biodiversity,, degradation, soil erosion, and lost of livelihoods among others.

The  minister commended GSF for  reviving the deforested areas in the country through  the living people’s lab Nigeria.

The Green Tree Thrift project,  is a component of its Green Sahara Revolution in partnership with reforest action of France.

It would be recalled that the Prince of Whales and circular bio-economy alliance also recently acknowledged the farm for  committing to implementing the Environment, Social and Governance Principles (ESG).

The farm over the past 10years has been working in Plateau, Nassarawa, Yobe and  Kastina state to regenerate the deforested areas.

 It had ensured that they improve on the environment where they grow crops rather than deplete it through indiscriminate farming techniques.

The Managing  Director of the GSF Suleiman Dikwa stated that In its reforestation effort, the farm has been working with the Circular Bio-economy Alliance  (CBA) to further propagate the regeneration of forest in the country.

Dikwa while speaking to newsmen in Abuja said in the 2021 that they had planted 250,000 economic trees in the communities where they are working, adding that their plan is to plant 25million trees and lift about 84000people out of poverty.

According to him “Due to our commitment to ESG  our purpose of operation is not only to be limited to making profit, but also impacting the environment. “

He said “Under the ESG, the farmers get more value for their crop and the environment is more protected. In essence we are making a commitment to pay our worker well, treat the farmers better.”

Dikwa stated that with Green Tree Thrift program, farmers can earn a minimum of N3million annually through planting of economic trees, as GSF have been providing each households in the communities where they work  with 300 nurseries to plant trees.

On how people can earn a minimum of N3 million yearly from planting trees, Dikwa explained a cashew tree produces a minimum of 20kg of fruit per tree, when multiplied by 300 trees, it gives six tonnes. 

He said a tonne of Cashew in the local market is about N500,000, when multiplied by six tonnes, it gives N3 million. If farmers are assisted to export, the price is a minimum of 1380 United States dollars.

He pointed out that the green tree thrift project is an economic and cultural strategy to develop a circular bio-economy whereby the sustainable utilisation of natural resources through agro forestry would improve and create a green industry.