From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has announced that Nigeria will embark on a massive tree planting campaign during the next rainy season, drawing inspiration from Ethiopia’s acclaimed Green Legacy Programme. The initiative, he said, is part of Nigeria’s broader push for national reforestation and environmental sustainability.
Speaking after touring several agricultural and industrial facilities in Ethiopia on Saturday, he praised the East African nation’s achievements in climate action and economic development, according to a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha. “We intend to plant 20 billion trees in the next rainy season. It requires a lot of planning, energy, and drive which Ethiopia was able to galvanise its population into doing,” Shettima said.
He described Ethiopia as “a success story worthy of emulation and a pathfinder for Africa’s renaissance,” adding, “I was overwhelmed with joy that the real economic renaissance of Africa is in the offing. Ethiopia has become the pathfinder, the front runner in us reclaiming our pride and our continent. We are mightily proud of them.”
During his state visit, Shettima toured Adama Dairy Farms, Luke Avocado Nursery, Shera Dibandiba Mojo Family Integrated Farm, Biyyo Poultry Farm, and Bishoftu Pea Farm. The visits are part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between Nigeria and Ethiopia in agriculture and industrial development.
Central to the visit was the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, which Shettima described as a “win-win for all,” saying the programme “combines environmental restoration with job creation.”
“Ethiopia is a nation of over 100 million people; the success of Ethiopia will reverberate across the length and breadth of East and Southern Africa,” he said.
Shettima also highlighted Ethiopia’s achievement in wheat self-sufficiency, noting the country’s transformation from importing $1 billion worth of wheat annually to now exporting to neighbours such as Djibouti and Kenya.
“If Nigeria and Ethiopia work, Africa will work. 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 harmoniously for the betterment of our continent,” he emphasised.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Kingsley Uzoma, described the visit as “phenomenal,” affirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to replicating Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation model.
“President Bola 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 added that Nigeria is also pursuing economic diversification strategies to reduce its reliance on oil revenues, with plans to expand agricultural exports of avocado, pineapple, mango, cashew, and cocoa.