PROMOTING COMMUNAL FORESTRY BY JOHN AKINNUBA

[John Akinnuba]

INTRODUCTION

Forestry, during the 19th century and early part of 20th century got high priority rating and royal support. The forests both the British and Nigerian in many ways. The major consumable products are wood for construction and paper products, fish, wildlife and forage. While the services included building and protection of soil; safeguarding watershed, farm crops animals, cooling and filtering air and provision of innumerable opportunities if diverse characters.

Unfortunately forestry lost her pride of place in national policy as a result of a number of factors, most important of which include. High population density and its attendant pressure an forest land, Improvement in standard of living which led to complete creaming off of the forests, National value system, and National conflicts among land users.

JUSTIFICATION
The growing impact of deforestation due to intensification of agricultural practices, and Nigeria’s modus operandi for oil prospective activities, particularly in the Niger Delta, has called for new and effective approach for ecological sustainability by rural people. Although, it is gratifying to know that some state Government has accepted this principle and has been striving to establish tree-plantations, forest and game reserves in selected locations of the state, the realization of this objective is largely technical and requires adequate planning and funding.

The perpetual idea that forestry is a long-term investment whereby only Government can invest on forest resources development and utilization should be discouraged. It is therefore imperative to call for “COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAMME” which implies an active participation of the population in forestry ventures, thus stimulating village development and allowing for self-management of natural resources.This perhaps may have informed the choice subject areas of Agro-forestry in land-use as the Choice Topic for me to discuss as a researcher on tropical Forestry.

PARTICIPATION
Agro-Forestry system combines research with extension work at the Community level to make research findings adaptable and useful to the local community the local people are involved and consulted about problems of land use.
The need rural people to recognize community forestry or tree growing programme, should be considered as one of the most promising production strategies. It is also pertinent to note that, community forestry programme which provides for a global framework for international effort, could attract special attention and possible support from the World Bank sponsored Food and Agricultural Organizations (F.A.O) projects such as the “Tropical Forestry Action Plan”, which has for long attracted the attention of the Forestry Department of some State Ministry of Agriculture.

AGRO-FORESTRY SYSTEMS:
In agro-forestry land use system; there are three major components i.e., Food crops, Livestock; and Woody species and they are classified in to the following system.
(i) Agrosilvicultural System: This simply means the inter-cropping of crops and trees on the same piece of land.

(ii) Silvopastoral System: This involves pasture, livestock and trees on same piece of land.

(iii) Agro-Silvopastoral System: This is the production of crops, pasture, livestock and trees on the same piece of land.