The Kwara Government in collaboration with the Agro-Climate Resilience in Semi-Acrid Landscapes (ACReSAL) has flagged off distribution of 14,180 economic tree seedlings to 255 schools across the 16 local government areas of the state
Speaking at the event in Ilorin on Monday, Dr. Mary Arinde, Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, noted that the FSTP project would yield educational and economic benefits for schools.
Arinde, who doubles as the Chairman of the State Steering Committee for FSTP, said that the beneficiaries include 80 primary schools, 170 secondary schools, and five tertiary institutions in the state.
She stated that the schools would receive cocoa, cashew, oil palm, and orange tree seedlings.
She said that the distribution, attended by local government chairmen, school principals, and representatives of heads of schools, underscored the importance of the initiative to stakeholders in the education and agricultural sectors.
“These orchards will not only teach students about crops and their products but also serve as research plantations for tertiary institutions beyond academics.
“We gave the local governments chairman a chance to pick two schools of their choice to benefit from the initiative,” she said.
Arinde added that the initiative could become a long-term revenue source for schools, enabling them to invest in other agricultural ventures like animal husbandry and fisheries.
She urged supervising MDAs, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Teaching Service Commission, and Ministry of Tertiary Education to ensure proper monitoring and accountability through follow-up visits.
The commissioner commended Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for his commitment to food security, just as she praised the ACReSAL team, led by Alhaji Aregbe Shamsudeen, for ensuring delivery of the seedlings.
Alh. Kayode Alimi, Kwara State Director of Planning, emphasised the crucial role school gardens play in promoting agricultural education and providing hands-on learning experiences for students.
According to Alimi, the initiative includes the distribution of gardening tools to fast-track agricultural teaching and the provision of seedlings to students, enabling them to start their own gardens under regular supervision.
This effort will not only create an eco-friendly environment but also inspire students to develop a passion for agriculture, food security, and self-empowerment,” he added.
Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, also emphasised the importance of preserving trees planted in schools, noting their crucial role in protecting the learning environment.
He said the initiative transcends aesthetics, stressing that it safeguards investments in educational infrastructure.
Olohungbebe announced that the ministry would set up a small committee to monitor the trees in schools and draw members from the Quality Assurance Bureau (QAB) and School Services, who would go round to inspect schools and their environment.
“On behalf of the ministry of education, I am promising that as soon as I leave this event, I’m not going back to the office. I’ll be putting a very small committee in place to monitor the trees,” he said.
