The Nigerian Army has embarked on an ambitious project to plant one million date palm seedlings, with the initial phase starting at its farm in Giri, Abuja.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, represented by the Chief of Special Services and Programmes (Army), Maj.-Gen. Henry Wesley, began the planting with 5,000 seedlings at the farm.
Oluyede said the project was part of the presidential directive on agriculture to boost food production in Nigeria through initiatives such as exploiting army farms and ranches.
According to him, the project is part of efforts to increase food security and contribute to agricultural growth in the country.
“We have taken many steps before now in partnership with some of our friends who are here as well as other research institutions and schools within the country,” he said.
The project aims to support the Federal Government’s agricultural programme and increase food security in the country.
Oluyede noted: “This step here in the public view is just an indication of what is happening around the country.
“We have already taken a census of all our lands and also determine which products and farm produce will be suitable for those environments and efforts are ongoing already to ensure that we take advantage of the seasons to make sure that those lands are fully exploited.
“We must escalate the implementation of the presidential directives within all our farms and ranches and that must be done within this year.
“So we hope to be at the next location for the tree planting exercise in the next one month or thereabout.”
The Director-General of NAFARL, Maj.-Gen. Chinedu Nnebeife, added that the farms have “already taken a census of all our lands and also determine which products and farm produce will be suitable for those environments.”
The goal is to plant one million date fruit seedlings by the end of 2025, with the project set to continue in other parts of the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches across the northern states.
Nnebeife stated: “We are determined to ensure the achievement of the planting of one million dead fruit seedlings before the end of year 2025.”
With date farms being native to the Middle East and North Africa, the Nigerian Army is keen to utilise the new and different varieties that can grow in tropical and subtropical regions, including Nigeria.
The project has the potential to make Nigeria a leader in date production in the West African region, surpassing current leaders such as Egypt and Mauritania.
“As of today, we have already planted about 2,000 seedlings and we hope to complete the remaining planting in the next two weeks to make up the 5,000 for this particular area.
“Date farms are native to the Middle East and North Africa but with the new and different varieties we now have they can grow in many tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including Nigeria and of course, also here in Abuja.
“We are determined to ensure the achievement of planting one million dead fruit seedlings before the end of 2025,” he said.
Nnebeife said that date fruit varies in colour, size and flavour, depending on the variety and could range from soft to hard in texture.
Dates are highly nutritious and are often referred to as a superfood. They are rich in natural sugars such as glucose, fructose and sucrose, making them a popular energy-boosting snack.
NAN
