The Edo State Investment Promotion Office (ESIPO) in collaboration with the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) Netherlands is organizing a one-day planning workshop for stakeholders involved in the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil-Palm Smallholders (NI-SCOPS) program in Edo State.
The workshop, scheduled for Wednesday, August 28th, 2024, at John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), GRA, Benin City, aims to establish a comprehensive work plan for the next phase of the NI-SCOPS II program in the State.
In a press statement by Professor Ngozi Unuigbe,facilitator, Edo NISCOPS Partners Forum, “The objectives of the workshop is to review the achievements of NI-SCOPS Phase I; identify key priorities for the program’s next phase; develop a framework for new, essential policies to guide the program; ensure all stakeholders are aligned with the program’s goals and strategies and set the stage for successful implementation of NI-SCOPS II in the coming months”
NI-SCOPS II is a five-year, €3 million program funded by the Netherlands and UK governments that aims to improve the lives of Oil palm smallholder farmers in Edo State.
The program focuses on: deepening the program’s impact by concentrating efforts solely on Edo State, NI-SCOPS II seeks to achieve transformative changes in smallholder livelihoods and forest protection; strengthening Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with a significant portion of the program’s investment aiming to attract private sector co-funding, leveraging government policy initiatives; promoting a cluster model that will connect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), processors, and producer associations to facilitate the supply of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) to end-users.
Other areas of focus are enhancing access to finance for farmers in a manner that will actively pursue efforts to make financing more accessible to smallholder farmers; expanding program reach in a way that will extend its reach beyond the Okomu forest landscape to include the Sakponba landscape; boosting productivity and diversification in a manner that will focus on increasing productivity on existing farmland and promoting crop diversification to improve livelihoods and raise farmer income; preventing deforestation and promoting biodiversity by supporting field-level activities that enhance productivity and income generation, NI-SCOPS II aims to discourage encroachment on forest areas, promote biodiversity, and provide opportunities for additional income and food security for farmers.
Stakeholders are encouraged to attend this important workshop to gain a deeper understanding of the NI-SCOPS II program and contribute to its successful implementation in Edo State.
