🇳🇬 Nigeria to Plant 20 Billion Trees to Combat Deforestation — VP Shettima

Vice‑President Kashim Shettima has unveiled an ambitious national reforestation effort: planting 20 billion trees during the next rainy season as part of a bold strategy to restore Nigeria’s depleted forests and promote environmental sustainability .

🆘 A Dire Forest Emergency

1. Nigeria has lost over 90% of its original forest cover, with approximately 400,000 hectares vanishing each year .
2. Shettima declared this loss both an environmental crisis and economic emergency, warning that neglecting forests jeopardizes economic stability and livelihoods .

🌱 Reforestation Plan Inspired by Ethiopia

1. The initiative draws inspiration from Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, which successfully combined environmental restoration with job creation and climate resilience .
2. Nigeria aims to replicate this model by mobilising mass participation as part of a broader continental green renaissance .

💡 Economic & Environmental Opportunities

1. Nigeria’s forest sector holds estimated economic value up to $2–3 billion annually, with the potential to grow even further through carbon credits, timber exports, and non‑timber forest products .
2. International policies, like new EU regulations banning imports from recently deforested lands, create both urgency and opportunity for sustainable forestry .

👩‍👧‍👦 Focus on Inclusion & Local Value Chains

1. More than 70% of non‑timber forest product collectors are women and youth, the Vice President highlighted. Empowering these groups could unlock jobs and financial inclusion for traditionally marginalized groups .
2. He proposed developing eco‑industrial parks focused on bamboo, shea butter, medicinal plants and carbon verification systems to monetize forestry and drive regional development .

🧪 Tech To Track Carbon & Enable Financing

1. Netzence Sustainability Ltd is deploying technology to measure greenhouse gas emissions, monitor forest health, and support Nigeria’s entry into the carbon credit market .
2. This tech is being aligned with key federal ministries to ensure data‑driven policy, transparent tracking, and financial inclusion for forest‑based livelihoods .

🚀 Significance & Next Steps

The 20 billion‑tree goal represents one of Nigeria’s most ambitious climate actions to date—aiming not only to reverse deforestation but also to:

1. Restore degraded lands degraded by farming practices, logging, and unreliable land tenure systems.
2. Sequester carbon and contribute to Nigeria’s climate resilience.
3. Generate employment and wealth through sustainable forest-based industries .

By planting native and locally adapted species, engaging communities, and using monitoring technology, Nigeria seeks sustainable, long‑lasting environmental recovery—not a superficial “greenwash.” Critics note that reforestation must be managed carefully with ecological planning, species diversity, and long-term maintenance for true forest restoration to succeed .

🌿 In Summary

Element	Details
Initiative	Plant 20 billion trees in next rainy season
Leadership	Vice‑President Kashim Shettima
Issue	Over 90% forest loss; 400,000 ha/year deforested
Goals	Climate resilience, jobs, forest economy, carbon finance
Strategy	Inspired by Ethiopia’s Green Legacy, nationwide mobilization
Technology	Carbon measurement by Netzence Sustainability
Social Impact	Empower women & youth, eco-industrial value chains

Nigeria’s sweeping plan to regreen the nation is not just environmental—it’s framed as an economic transformation, aimed at turning forests into a future-focused asset. With strategic implementation, monitoring, and community involvement, this effort could reshape Nigeria’s environmental and economic landscape.