Oil palm plantation | File Image
Dogara advocates presidential implementation committee on oil palm development in Nigeria
By Valentine Amanze
Nigeria’s former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said that oil palm development could take many Nigerian families out of poverty.
Dogara therefore appealed to the Bola Tinubu administration to get involved in oil palm development.
Dogara spoke during a meeting with the National Association of National Palm Producers Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) in Abuja.
He also advised President Bola Tinubu to float a committee to drive the policy successfully.
Also read: Nigeria could save N94b on palm oil – SON
“Let him [Tinubu] escalate the thing to a point whereby almost on a monthly basis, there will be briefings as to progress made in this direction,’’ adding that the project could inject about N16.2 billion (or a trillion) into the economy.
Dogara however appealed to all stakeholders to continue advocacy on alleviating poverty in Nigeria through oil palm cultivation across the country until it gets to the appropriate persons.
Besides, the Chairman of NPPAN, Ambassador Alphonsus Infant, had conferred the honour of the national patron of the association on Dogara.
He said that the ex-speaker was chosen for the honour because “he is a good negotiator of policies’’ and will negotiate for the restoration of the lost glory of oil palm in Nigeria.
“Up to the 60s, Nigeria controlled the market. Sixty percent of the world’s production and export came from Nigeria. Then, petroleum was found. Oil lost its place, just like many others lost their place. The glory we lost, we want to regain,’’ he lamented.
He added, “Indonesia produces 80 million tonnes of palm oil per year. Malaysia produces 19.2 million tonnes per year, China produces five million tonnes per year, Columbia 1.2 million tonnes per year and surprisingly, and quite sadly so, Nigeria produces 1.4 million tonnes per yer. And this position, we may lose it any point from now. The reason is that India has just declared as a policy that two million hectares of rice farm should be declared for oil palm plantation.”
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