A high-level Kenyan Government delegation has paid a learning visit to the Forestry Commission (FC) to understudy the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in forest plantations establishment.
Dr. Joram K. Kagombe, the Deputy Director for Social Economic, Policy and Governance at Kenya Forestry Research Institute, thanked the Management of FC for accepting to host his delegation and share with them, valuable knowledge that will help the growth of his country’s forestry sector.
He explained that, the objective of the learning visit was for the Kenyan Government to learn the successful cases of PPP or collaboration implemented by the Forestry Commission in Ghana, in the establishment of forest plantations.
Mr. Kagombe expressed that, the Kenyan Government is particularly interested in learning about how policy and strategic implementation in Ghana’s forestry sector created enabling conditions for successes in the plantation sector and the challenges that emanated from there.
It is their fervent hope that the Ghanaian experience can serve as an inspiration and provide insightful inputs for the development of a Kenyan strategy to unlock private investment in commercial forestry, he concluded.
In his welcome address, Mr. Nyadia Sulemana Nelson, Deputy Chief Executive, said he was pleased that such a high-level Government delegation has chosen to understudy the Commission’s private sector investment in forest plantations.
He added that, the learning visit is a win-win situation because FC does not only see it as an opportunity for the delegation to understudy FC but also as an opportunity to network and create lasting ties with the Kenyan Government through its forestry sector.
Mr. Kwame Agyei, Plantations Manager, took the delegation through a very detailed presentation on private sector participation in forest plantation development in Ghana. The presentation explained extensively, projects, policies and programs put in place by the Forestry Commission and the government and the private sector’s participation in ensuring the growth and development of Ghana’s forests.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Nyadia Nelson said the meeting is just the beginning of upcoming vigorous interactions between the two sectors and also establish reflow of engagements.
He urged the Kenyan delegation to take advantage of the presence of the technical people from the Forestry Commission and network with them to get as much information as possible to address all their questions and concerns.
“When people go on learning missions, they cross pollinate the ideas they pick from out there with theirs and the likelihood for the Kenyan Forestry Sector to grow and impact Ghana’s forestry sector becomes a possibility”, he expressed.
“I know that there can be other benefits outside this mission that we are all likely to benefit from”, he added.
Mr. Nelson assured them of FC’s availability and support to the Kenyan Government and its forestry sector.
