NFA Executive Director Tom Obong Okello Bids Farewell after Transformative Tenure
June 28, 2024
The National Forestry Authority (NFA) bid farewell to its Executive Director, Tom Obong Okello, who successfully concluded his six-year tenure. Joining the NFA in July 2018, Mr. Okello set out with a vision to improve forest reserves management, address illegal activities, garner stakeholder support, increase tree planting, and enhance staff welfare.
Key Achievements
- Increase in Forest Cover: Under Mr. Okello’s leadership, Uganda’s forest cover increased from 9.9% in 2017 to 12.4%. This was achieved through the establishment of 6,766 hectares of new plantations by the NFA, 75,410 hectares by private tree farmers, and the distribution of 126,339,704 seedlings to the public.
- Forest Land Recovery: The NFA recovered 44,702 hectares of forest land from encroachers and restored 22,500 hectares. Additionally, 4,597.1 kilometers of forest boundaries were reopened and demarcated with concrete pillars.
- Staff Mobility Improvement: The procurement of 20 vehicles and 62 motorcycles significantly enhanced staff mobility for forestry management.
- Increased Non-Tax Revenue: Revenue rose from approximately 9 billion UGX in 2017/18 to 18 billion UGX in 2023/24
- Support for Forestry Management: Partnerships with the World Bank, Swedish Development Agency, Irish Aid, WWF, USAID, and other organizations provided crucial support for various projects, including forest regeneration, boundary demarcation, and forest monitoring.
- Community Engagement: The introduction of agroforestry practices empowered over 100,000 farmers, and 10 million seedlings were distributed to schools, institutions, and communities.
- Technological Advancements: Implementation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) for real-time forest monitoring and the use of drones enhanced forest management capabilities, reducing illegal logging incidents by 70%.