200MillionTrees, a pioneering social enterprise, has announced the launch of its Leucaena 3-in-1 Project, a groundbreaking initiative addressing Nigeria’s long-standing farmer-herder conflict.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ibraheem Dooba, the project’s founder, said the initiative was aimed at providing alternative pasture for cattle, reducing encroachment on farmland, enhancing soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and combating desertification.
“Nigeria has lost 19,000 lives due to farmer-herder clashes. We want to end it by fostering not only peace but also prosperity the farming and herding communities,” said Mr Dooba.
“Our project has already made significant strides, with 800,000 Leucaena trees planted in the third quarter of 2024. The states include, Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba.
“200MillionTrees distributes free seeds and seedlings to both farmers and herders. The rapid growth and drought-tolerant features of the tree ensure ready pastures for animals removing the need to go south.
“Among the benefits of the Leucaena tree is that it grows cattle weight gain by 1 kilo every day and increases milk production by up to 20%,” Mr Dooba added
For the farmers, Leucaena fixes up to 500 kilos of nitrogen per hectare and be used as green manure saving farmers millions of money in fertilizer application.
Key partners include local farmer and Fulani organizations, as well as traditional rulers (emirs and ardos), ensuring community buy-in and ownership.
“The Leucaena 3-in-1 Project is a shining example of innovative, community-driven solutions to Nigeria’s most pressing challenges,” said Marwa Nadama, founder of Foundation for Refugees Economic Empowerment and project supporter.
“Our people need this and we’re asking for more seeds. We’ve fashioned a reliable monitoring system for its utilization,” said the Emir of Bungudu.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the 200MillionTrees is dedicated to scaling up to 2 million trees within the next year, developing a mimosine-free Leucaena variety for safe animal feed, and expanding partnerships with local organizations and stakeholders.
