Professor Kohol Iornem, a renowned academic and founder of the Mzehemen U Tiv Foundation (MUTF), has donated hundreds of oil palm seedlings to 20 schools across Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency.
The symbolic presentation of the nursery palm seedlings took place on Tuesday at the Benue Alia Palm Project (BAPP) Nursery in Makurdi.
Prof. Iornem, a Professor of Business Management at Regent College, London, said the initiative was part of his contribution towards encouraging environmental sustainability and economic empowerment in his constituency.
“I was moved by the impact of this project, hence the need to support our people to key into this all-important vision of planting at least one tree a year,” he said.
He explained that distributing the seedlings to schools would not only help improve their future earnings but also provide students with practical knowledge of agricultural ventures.
Iornem also commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for subsidising the prices of oil palm seedlings, describing the gesture as a major step in empowering even the poorest farmers to engage in profitable cultivation.
Speaking at the event, the Governor’s Special Adviser on International Investments, Mr. Alex Addingi, hailed Iornem’s intervention as exemplary, noting that it aligned with Governor Alia’s call for indigenes in the diaspora to invest in their home communities.
“What Prof. Iornem has done is exactly what the governor expects from Benue sons and daughters abroad – to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of their communities,” Addingi said.
He noted that the beneficiary schools would, in due course, enjoy long-term economic benefits from harvesting oil palms, while students would also acquire practical craft and agribusiness skills.
Describing oil palm as “Black Gold,” Addingi highlighted its over ten by-products, stressing its potential as a major revenue earner for both individuals and the state.
The initiative, observers say, is expected to boost economic empowerment and complement the Benue State government’s drive towards sustainable agricultural development.
