Kano govt. set to harness economic potentials of gum arabic

Kano - The Kano state government is working towards increasing the cultivation of gum arabic to harness its economic potentials, an official said on Saturday in Kano.

Co-ordinator of Kano State Afforestation Project (KNAP), Alhaji Shu’aibu Musa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that over 20 hectares of gum arabic trees had been planted towards this end.

"This is part of our renewed effort at encouraging farmers to go into business.

"The government also cultivated another 20 hectares of gum trees last year as a pilot programme,’’ he said.

Musa said the state government was also going to establish an industrial plantation for gum arabic in Bichi and Gabasawa local government areas of the state.

"Through this, we are going to cultivate over one million tree seedlings for free distribution to farmers and other individuals,’’ he said.

The KNAP co-ordinator also said the state government cultivated over one million seedlings last year.

He said the government would soon embark on an enlightenment campaign to sensitise the people on the need to plant trees so as to protect the environment.