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IITA scientist addresses first commonwealth forestry gathering

During the first conference of the Commonwealth Forestry Association Nigeria Chapter held at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria in Ibadan on 10-12 October, Deni Bown, Head, IITA Forest Unit, presented a paper titled “Prioritizing and protecting Nigeria’s threatened trees: the work of IITA in promoting the propagation and cultivation of indigenous tree species.”

The paper detailed the efforts of the IITA Forest Unit’s projects in conserving flora and fauna, especially endangered tree species of importance to West Africa. IITA’s headquarters in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria, comprises 1000 ha which include a forest reserve and other patches of secondary Guinea-Congo rainforest totaling approximately 360 ha. Since 2010 there have been several projects that utilize these forest resources for conservation, research, and education. These projects carry out tree propagation and planting and have redeveloped degraded areas of the campus to demonstrate the importance of indigenous tree species for landscapes, livelihoods, and biodiversity. The paper therefore outlined the activities, skills, and partnerships
that have arisen from these projects and that are now managed by the IITA Forest Unit.

The conference also included a field trip in which 86 attendees visited the Tree Heritage Park and forest. Read the full paper here.