The Federal Government has struck a major partnership with global players to fast-track its Green Legacy Programme, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dalberg Group and Campo Group key architects of Ethiopia’s 46 billion tree-planting success.
The deal, unveiled Monday during a sideline meeting at the ongoing United Nations Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa, also comes as Nigeria clinches the hosting rights for Africa’s first-ever South-South Technology Transfer Centre, courtesy of the Organisation of Southern Cooperation (OSC). Nigeria is also being considered to host the African South-South Summit.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who met with the consortium and OSC leadership separately, said Nigeria is aiming to plant 25 billion trees under its ambitious climate plan describing the 10-billion-tree initial target as “a realistic start.”
“If Ethiopia, a mountainous country, can plant 46 billion trees, then 25 billion is well within our reach,” Shettima said, lauding the consortium’s expertise and expressing confidence in Nigeria’s green transition.
He also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a transformational and courageous leader “willing to make the tough calls” to reposition Nigeria and the continent for a sustainable future.
In a separate meeting, the OSC Secretary-General, Manssour Bin Mussallam, said Nigeria’s leadership role and educational progress made it a natural choice to host the new tech hub.
“Nigeria’s vision under President Tinubu’s government aligns with our strategic direction,” Mussallam said, highlighting plans to set up South-South Technology Transfer Centres across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
Vice President Shettima urged the OSC to deepen internal collaboration across the Global South and seize new opportunities in AI, biotechnology, and education.
“Africa missed the industrial age we cannot afford to miss the knowledge age,” Shettima said.
The OSC, founded in 2020, aims to reshape global cooperation by empowering developing nations through innovation, education, and technology transfer.
