NYPA palm (Nypa Fruticans), a member of the family of Nypodeae and sub family of Nipah is an exotic specie. It was brought into Nigeria in 1906 from Singapore and first planted at the old Calabar in the former Eastern Nigeria. In 1911, about 2000 seeds were harvested from the stock, and re-introduced into the environment of Opobo and Oron settlements. In 1945, the then Eastern Nigerian Department of Agriculture, encouraged the importation of Nypa palm (Nypa Fruticans) into the Niger Delta region becaosue of its wild self-regenerated capability and usefulness in wine and soap making. From then, more Nypa palm seeds were obtained from Malaysia and regenerated into the environment of Bonny, Oloibiri, Nembe, Abonnema, Okrija, just to mention but a few.

However, the programme was unsuccessful because of the personnel skill required in extracting the resources accruable from Nypa palm. Before now in Rivers State, Nypa palms’ leave only was used in making products such as hat, basket, thatch, rope and broom. This limitation was as a result of the lack of knowledge regarding the production, management, and utilization technology.

Consequently, the general public paid little or no attention to the economic value of Nypa palm mangrove forest. However, forestry experts, both in Rivers State University of Science and Technology, and the Department of Forestry  in the State’s Ministry of Agriculture then advised the State Government on the need to give production of Nypa plam a boost, stressing that it was impossible to eradicate the Nypa palm species due to its regenerative biology. Rather than eradicating Nypa palm, the forestry experts advised that “re-training of practicing, and young foresters to fully understand the management and utilization technology was a better alternative.” The forestry expets warned that eventual eradication of Nypa palm would be detrimental to the mangrove dependent community.

Foresters are of the view that given the silviculture and usefulness of Nypa palm to the prevailing environment of Rivers State, an effective management of Nypa palm would compare favourbaly with the known and exploitable values of mangrove forest.

Forestry experts firmly contended that the seedlings of Nypa palm are ready for transplanting when they are about 46cm high. In Malaysia, 450 to 500 palms are planted per  hectare. The young plants are protected from destruction by crabs. Nypa palm bears fruits after three years of planting and gets full maturity within five to six years.

In countries such as Malaysia, Phillipines, Singapore and Indonesia, the leaves of Nypa palm are used for making thatch; the cuticle for making cigarette wrapper; the sap for making sugar, vinegar, alcohol, drugs and beverages.

The fruits of Nypa palm are in clusters similar to Nigerian oil palm. It takes about three months for the fruits to mature. At maturity, the fruits are darkened in colour and then the stock wrenched in readiness for tapping. In Malaysia, tapping was done all year round, and each flower head produces about 490mls per day, and two flower heads could be tapped continuously to yield about 252 litres annually. In Papua, New Guinea, a mature Nypa palm produces 200 litres per year. So, a plantation of 250 Nypa palms per hectare would produce 50,000 litres per annum. In fact, the Southern East Asian countries regard Nypa palm as a national tree crop because of its numerous uses.

The sugar and alcohol extraction from Nypa palm was also indicated. Sugar content of Nypa palm was put at 6-17 per cent with a yield rate of about 30,000kg per hectare yearly and about 50,400 litres per hectare yearly of alcohol. Apart from alcohol, the Nypa sap could be made into sugar syrup or brown sugar which is popular in developed countries as a form of health food. Nypa palm could also be useful in the production of vinegar.

Perhaps, it was against the background of known and exploitable economic values of the mangroves to Rivers people, particularly to the rural dwellers, that the administration of Ex-Governor Peter Odili sponsored Dr Mrs Okujagu, then Special Adviser to Rivers State Governor on Science and Technology to visit Malaysia, the origin of Nypa palm.

The efforts of the State Government then in trying to fashion out appropriate management systems for Nypa palm were indeed, commendable. It is worthwhile to suggest that the present administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi should revisit plans on this subject matter by including forestry professionals with sound knowledge about the silvicultural practices of Nypa palm and mangrove forest ecosystem in the list of personnel for eventual and sustainable management of Nypa palm and eventual “aforestation programme for Rivers State.”

Fuayefika, a public affairs analyst writes from Port Harcourt.

Tonye Fuayefika