….AGROFORESTRY-Isaac Taiwo Bessong – Chairman, Florence Kekong – Secretary
By: Our Reporter, Calabar
The Boki Climate & Agroforestry Initiative (BCAI), has formally constituted its Technical Committee, creating an operational structure expected to translate the initiative’s broad environmental objectives into practical conservation, agroforestry and sustainable-livelihood programmes across Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The Technical Committee was inaugurated on September 29, 2026, following the earlier decision of the BCAI Steering Committee to establish a technical arm for the Initiative.
Mainwhile, Mr Isaac Taiwo Bessong was appointed Chairman of the Technical Committee, while Communications Strategist and Climate Journalist, Florence Kekong was appointed Secretary.
The Committee will also have a Vice Chairman and Assistant Secretary, whose appointments are expected to be concluded following further consultations.
The inauguration followed the establishment of the Boki Climate & Agroforestry Initiative by the Boki Local Government Council under the leadership of the Executive Chairman, Eti-Eka, Hon. Beatrice Etta Nyiam.
According to the welcome address delivered by Hon. Augustine Ubua Obi, Special Adviser on Diaspora Engagement, Trade & Economic Development to the Executive Chairman and Vice Chairman of the BCAI Steering Committee, the Initiative was conceived as a coordinated response to some of the environmental and sustainability challenges confronting Boki.
Boki’s extensive forest resources, biodiversity, agricultural land and communities whose livelihoods are closely connected to natural resources provide both an opportunity and a responsibility for sustainable environmental management.
The Initiative identifies deforestation, forest degradation and unsustainable land-use practices among the challenges requiring deliberate, coordinated and technically sound interventions.
Consequently, BCAI seeks to promote forest conservation, afforestation and reforestation, ecological restoration, sustainable agroforestry, responsible land-use practices and meaningful community participation, while supporting climate and environmental interventions capable of strengthening sustainable livelihoods.From Ideas to Practical Action.
A major responsibility of the newly constituted Technical Committee will be to help move the initiative from broad objectives to implementable programmes.
Among its expected areas of work are identifying priority environmental and conservation challenges across Boki; developing approaches for forest conservation and restoration of degraded landscapes; designing afforestation, reforestation and community nursery programmes; promoting sustainable agroforestry and responsible land-use practices; and strengthening engagement with farmers, communities, traditional institutions and other stakeholders.
The Committee is also expected to identify opportunities for technical partnerships, capacity building and sustainable financing, while contributing to credible project proposals that can attract development partners and sponsors.
Monitoring, documentation and evaluation of environmental and community impacts will equally form part of its responsibilities.
Importantly, the Steering Committee has indicated that the Technical Committee is not being established merely to implement predetermined ideas,rather, members are expected to bring their professional expertise, critical thinking and practical recommendations to help shape the direction of BCAI.
Building on Existing WorkThe initiative also recognises ongoing cocoa farm mapping and traceability activities being undertaken in Boki by technical partners, including Palmyra.Rather than duplicating such interventions, BCAI says it intends to complement existing work and develop a broader environmental and landscape approach to conservation and sustainable development.
This approach is particularly, relevant as Boki’s agricultural economy remains closely linked to its natural resources.
Existing initiatives involving Boki LGA and Palmyra have already focused on farmer identification, digital traceability and more sustainable cocoa production practices- aTechnical Platform for Boki’s Environmental Future.
Speaking on behalf of the BCAI Steering Committee, Hon. Augustine Obi urged members to take ownership of the Committee’s work and determine its immediate priorities and next steps.
He stressed the importance of beginning with practical and achievable interventions that could produce early results while establishing a strong foundation for the initiative’s broader objectives.
The Technical Committee brings together individuals with experience spanning conservation and environmental organisations, climate advocacy and communication, agriculture and farming, community development and existing technical work within Boki.
Its composition is therefore intended to provide a multidisciplinary platform through which environmental protection can be connected with agriculture, community development and sustainable livelihoods.
Boki possesses significant forest and agricultural resources, and public sources similarly describe the LGA as an area whose economy and livelihoods are strongly connected to agriculture and forest resources.
The inauguration of the Technical Committee therefore, marks another step in the development of a coordinated framework for addressing the environmental challenges facing the area.
For BCAI, the task ahead is not simply to plant trees or promote conservation as isolated activities, but to develop practical systems through which forest protection, ecological restoration, sustainable agriculture, responsible land use and community livelihoods can reinforce one another.
With the Technical Committee now formally constituted, attention is expected to shift towards defining its immediate priorities, developing practical interventions and building partnerships capable of turning the initiative’s environmental vision into measurable action across Boki.
