Anambra State Government, has distributed 220 million palm seedlings to more than 180,000 households in the State over the last two years.
Forster Ihejiofor, Professor and Commissioner for Agriculture, while making the disclosure, said Governor Chukwuma Soludo-led Administration is favourably- inclined towards investing in the sector for optimal returns.
He said the Government is desiring to collaborate with the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) and Alpha Palm City Estate Development Ltd., in actualising the “One Family, 20 Palms” programme in the State.
This was revealed in Awka at the weekend during the unveiling of the project initiated by Alpha City Estate Development Limited and the inauguration of the Anambra State Chapter of NPPAN.
Alpha Palm City Estate Development Limited is a private-sector-driven agro-real estate development company that acquires estates, plants, and nurtures fast-growing, high-yielding palm nurseries/seedlings for sale to agricultural investors.
Declaring the event open, Ihejiofor lamented a situation where Nigeria, which gave palm nuts to Malaysia a few years ago, now imports palm oil worth five hundred million dollars ($500m) from the same nation annually.
Read also: Anambra tops 2025 State of States fiscal performance rankings
Ihejiofor recalled that during his visit to Malaysia in 2022, he discovered that palm trees had officially been classified as a national economic plant, such that one risks prosecution for touching them without Government approval.
According to him, palm oil in Malaysia has value addition in such a way that none of its by-products are allowed to go to waste.
He discussed the replication of such policies in the State or Country, especially considering the bold initiatives of NPPAN/Alpha Palm City.
He noted that palm plantations had become the backbone of the Malaysian economy, hoping to replicate this success in the Nigerian and Anambra economies.
“Governor Soludo has shown strong support for backing serious investors to standardise processes and acquire processing machines if they form cooperatives, thereby maximising the high returns from the investment,” Ihejiofor noted.
He stated that more than 80% of products on the shelves of any typical Nigerian supermarket contain by-products of palm oil and kernel.
