Solidaridad introduces sustainable oil palm management plan in Nigeria

Solidaridad, a civil society organization, has introduced a Sustainable Management Plan (SMP) to promote climate-smart oil palm production in Nigeria, specifically targeting Kogi and Enugu states. Developed under the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (NISCOPS) project, the plan aims to boost smallholder productivity and income while addressing environmental challenges.

The framework focuses on four pillars: environmental stewardship and climate resilience, sustainable economic development, social inclusion and human rights, and governance and policy alignment. The initiative seeks to mitigate issues such as deforestation, low productivity, aging plantations, and insecure land tenure. By encouraging farmers to increase yields on existing land rather than clearing forests, the plan aims to align Nigerian production with international standards.

Ernest Ita, Programme Manager of Solidaridad Nigeria, noted that the intervention has already reached over 10,000 smallholder farmers and nearly 5,000 processors. The organization warned that adhering to these sustainable practices is critical for Nigerian producers to maintain access to the European market, particularly in light of the European Union Deforestation Regulation.