FILE: Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun
The Ogun State Government has begun plans to harness the economic potential of eucalyptus plantations to boost its Internally Generated Revenue and create investment opportunities in the forestry sector.
In a statement on Saturday, the Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, said the initiative, being implemented in collaboration with forestry stakeholders and Huafa Forest Resources Development of Nigeria Co. Ltd., would involve the cultivation of eucalyptus seedlings across the state’s forest reserves.
Oludotun urged charcoal dealers, timber contractors, farmers and other operators in the forestry sector to embrace the initiative, saying eucalyptus cultivation could provide an additional source of income while contributing to the state’s revenue.
He said the relatively short maturity period of eucalyptus, estimated at between four and five years, made it a more attractive investment than some economic trees that take more than a decade to mature.
