A quiet but intensive transformation is unfolding in Ekiti State’s forestry sector under the leadership of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO).
Guided by the conviction that environmental health is central to citizens’ well-being and sustainable development, the Oyebanji administration is reversing decades of forest degradation and positioning Ekiti as a model of green economy growth and climate action in Nigeria.
For years, many of the state’s forest reserves faced alarming depletion, which was overrun by bandits, illegal loggers, and herdsmen, resulting in widespread deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
Determined to halt this decline, Governor Oyebanji took decisive steps to reclaim the forests through coordinated security operations that flushed out criminal elements and restored safety across the reserves.
This renewed sense of security laid the groundwork for a large-scale reforestation and investment drive aimed at rebuilding the state’s natural wealth and enhancing its environmental resilience. To sustain the gains, the government recruited new forest guards in 2023 to replace retiring officers and ensure 24-hour patrols across both free areas and forest reserves.
To further strengthen this initiative, the state government in 2025 enlisted an additional 404 personnel into the Ekiti State Security Network Agency (Amotekun), the Agro-Marshal and the Anti-Grazing Corps; all designed to bolster rural and forest security, particularly at the grassroots level.
With safety restored, focus has now shifted to an ambitious reforestation programme powered by innovative public-private partnerships (PPP). Under these partnerships, the state has signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with private investors to establish commercial plantations designed for timber development, carbon credit generation and climate resilience.
Some notable afforestation projects already underway include those by YSJ Limited in Oke-Aro, Ogbese, and Aramoko Forest Reserves; MBH Global Resources in the Ise-Ekiti Forest Reserve; and Enshet Global Resources in the Ogbese Forest Reserve. These projects are expected to enhance biodiversity, promote carbon capture and create employment opportunities for local communities.
Beyond tree planting, the Oyebanji administration is also investing in knowledge, research and capacity building. Working with a team of experts, including the Technical Adviser on Forestry and Climate Change, Dr Olly Owen, and the Technical Adviser on Green Economy and Ecological Matters, Dr Akinyemi Akinyugha, the state successfully facilitated the establishment of an outstation of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) in Ekiti State.
The FRIN outstation, now operational at Odo-Owa Ekiti, has been provided with 20 hectares of land and a temporary office by the host community. The facility is expected to boost academic and research collaboration, providing new opportunities for students and researchers in forestry and agriculture-related disciplines across the region.
According to the Executive Secretary of the Ekiti State Forestry Commission, Mr Sunday Adekunle, the comprehensive approach being implemented by Governor Oyebanji's administration represents a major turnaround in the management of the state’s natural resources.
Through this multi-layered initiative, Governor Oyebanji’s administration is not only restoring Ekiti’s forests but also driving the state toward an environmentally sustainable economy, making it emerge as a national model for subnational leadership in climate action where economic growth and ecological preservation go pari passu.
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