The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an international consortium comprising Dalberg Group and Campo Group to advance its Green Legacy Programme.
The agreement marks a significant step towards achieving Nigeria’s ambitious environmental targets, including the planting of 25 billion trees nationwide.
This development was announced on Monday during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and representatives of the Dalberg and Campo Groups on the sidelines of the United Nations Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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The two organisations had previously played a key role in Ethiopia’s successful afforestation programme, which saw the planting of 46 billion trees.
Shettima expressed confidence in Nigeria’s commitment to its green agenda, stating: “We are optimistic about planting 20 billion trees. If Ethiopia, with its challenging terrain, can plant 46 billion, then 25 billion is even a modest target. I believe we should aim to start with 10 billion.”
Shettima also commended President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, describing him as a courageous and transformational figure determined to redefine governance and economic development in Africa.
In a related development, the Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC) has announced plans to establish its first-ever South-South Technology Transfer Centre for Africa in Nigeria.
The OSC also proposed Nigeria as the host of its upcoming African South-South Summit.
The Secretary General of the OSC, Manssour Bin Mussallam, made the disclosure during a meeting with Shettima, also on the sidelines of the Addis Ababa summit.
He praised Nigeria’s vision and commitment to inclusive development, noting the country’s early ratification of the OSC charter.
“Given Nigeria’s leadership in education and innovation under President Tinubu’s administration, the country is an ideal location for this initiative,” said Mussallam.
“We believe Nigeria will be particularly well-suited to host the African centre alongside others in Latin America and Southeast Asia.”
Shettima welcomed the proposal and urged the OSC to develop creative, home-grown solutions to address the development challenges facing member countries.
He stressed the importance of building knowledge-based societies and said the global South must seize the moment in the current knowledge-driven era.
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“Africa missed the agricultural and industrial revolutions. We must not miss the post-industrial age. Now is the time to tap into innovations like artificial intelligence and biotechnology,” he said.
The Green Legacy MoU and the OSC initiative underscore Nigeria’s growing role in global environmental and technological cooperation efforts.