Forest Restoration
Restoring degraded community forests with indigenous and endemic species across Nigeria.
About Igbehinadun Agroforestry
Protecting Nigeria's Forests Through Community Action.
Igbehinadun Agroforestry started as a registered Agroforestry Cooperative Society in Ekiti State, Nigeria in 2008. We bring together farmers, agroforesters, herbal practitioners and rural communities to protect and restore forests using indigenous and endemic species.
Who we are
An indigenous, membership-based cooperative.
Igbehinadun Agroforestry started as a registered Agroforestry Cooperative Society in Ekiti State, Nigeria in 2008. Members are drawn from farmers, agroforesters, herbal practitioners and rural people, all committed to protecting and restoring community forests using indigenous and endemic species.
Over the years, I.A has demonstrated experience in biodiversity conservation in Agbado-Ekiti and its environment. These activities include eco-system management and conservation, forest enrichment, fauna and flora study, land rejuvenation, acculturation, reclamation and recuperation of rare species, and seed sourcing for multiplication.
Biodiversity Conservation
Documenting, protecting and multiplying rare flora and fauna in Agbado-Ekiti and beyond.
Community Stewardship
Equipping farmers, herbal practitioners, women and youth as long-term stewards of the land.
Indigenous Knowledge
Preserving and passing down ethno-medicinal knowledge that holds the key to resilient ecosystems.
Track record
Restoring forests at scale,
across Nigeria.
I.A has helped individuals, corporate bodies, government and various communities in Nigeria to restore degraded landscapes with native species.
2,500+
Hectares of forest restored
1,200+
Women and youths trained
800+
Households benefiting
47,000+
Indigenous seedlings raised
Est.
2020
With GEF-SGP support
Aratu Nature & Wildlife Sanctuary
A community forest, protected for the long term.
Established in 2020 by I.A as a community forest management project supported by GEF-SGP, Aratu Nature and Wildlife Sanctuary is the cooperative's flagship landscape, a living classroom for forest management, home gardens, climate-smart agriculture and NTFP marketing.
1,200+
Women & youths trained
Sustainable forest management, home gardens, CSA and NTFP marketing.
100
Training centre capacity
Built inside the Community Forest, funded by GEF-SGP Nigeria.
Some key officers who participated in these trainings have formed the teaching teams for knowledge replication across Aratu Sanctuary, passing skills down to the next generation of community stewards.
From the field
Moments from Aratu, Agbado-Ekiti and beyond.
A look at the work as it happens, restoration, training, and the community life that holds it all together.
Our journey
More than two decades of conservation.
From policy rooms to community planting sites, shaping biodiversity, forest policy and food security thinking in Nigeria.
2008
Founded as a community cooperative
Igbehinadun Agroforestry (I.A) is founded as an indigenous, membership-based cooperative organisation.
2008
Registered with Ekiti State
Formally registered with the Ekiti State Government of Nigeria.
2011
Food security workshop, Calabar
FAO-organised workshop on food security.
2012
Close-planting technology, Akure
REMDEC Southwest workshop on close planting technology for cash crops.
2020
Aratu Nature & Wildlife Sanctuary
Aratu Nature and Wildlife Sanctuary established by I.A as a community forest management project supported by GEF-SGP.
2021
1,200+ women and youths trained
I.A trains over 1,200+ women and youths on sustainable forest management, home gardens, CSA and NTFP marketing, and builds a 100-person training centre inside the Community Forest.
2023
Afe Babalola University Award
I.A President Abimbola Agbana receives the Afe Babalola University Award for Ethno-Medicinal Plants and Forest Conservation.
Healthy forests create healthy communities. We are not simply planting trees, we help communities protect their natural heritage while creating sustainable livelihoods.
Workshops & policy engagement
A voice in national and global discussions.
Members of I.A have participated in workshops convened by government, multilateral institutions and civil society, engagements that have shaped biodiversity, forest policy and food security thinking in Nigeria.
| Year | Workshop |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Food Security |
| 2012 | Close Planting Technology for Cash Crops |
Policy & sponsor
Supported by our sponsor.
The GEF Small Grants Programme and UNDP Nigeria support our community-based conservation, forest restoration, and sustainable agricultural initiatives.
Our evolution
From tree planting to integrated
community stewardship.
This evolution demonstrates I.A’s long-term commitment to moving beyond tree planting alone — toward an integrated model in which these pillars reinforce one another:
- Forest restoration
- Biodiversity conservation
- Climate resilience
- Food security
- Local enterprise
- Community ownership
Recent recognition
Afe Babalola University Award
Awarded in October 2023 for Ethno-Medicinal Plants and Forest Conservation, in recognition of the leadership role of Abimbola Agbana in establishing Aratu Nature and Wildlife Sanctuary.