Rex Forestry Limited hosted 74 delegates from 15 countries on 27 August 2026 for a field visit to its operations in Ondo State, connecting forestry students with practical experience in seedling production and plantation management.
The visit formed part of the International Forestry Students’ Symposium (IFSS) programme in Nigeria. According to the company’s visit records, participation exceeded 84 when Rex representatives, Nigerian university students, lecturers and other forestry stakeholders were included.
The seven-hour programme took delegates through an operational briefing, nursery activities and plantation sites in the Oluwa Forest Reserve landscape. It offered an opportunity to connect university learning with the practical decisions involved in establishing and managing timber plantations.
At the nursery, participants explored seedling production and nursery management, following the early stages of a process that leads to plantation establishment. The field component extended that learning into plantation operations and discussions with forestry practitioners.
The visit followed a presentation on 26 August at the T.I. Francis Auditorium of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). Representatives of Rex’s Planning and Research and Development teams introduced the company’s operations and forestry practices, providing context for the following day’s field programme.
Together, the university session and field visit created a link between academic discussion and operational experience. Delegates were able to engage with practitioners and relate the subjects discussed at FUTA to the activities observed on site.
The delegation brought together participants from Nigeria and other countries across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. Alongside the technical programme, the visit provided opportunities for informal discussion, professional networking and exchange among students, lecturers and industry representatives.
For Rex Forestry, hosting the delegation formed part of its support for forestry education and practical learning. The engagement gave visiting students access to an operating forestry business while creating space for dialogue between the company and the next generation of forestry professionals.
The visit also placed Ondo State’s forestry landscape within an international learning exchange, with students encountering Nigerian plantation operations directly. Such engagement can help build the understanding and professional relationships needed for continued cooperation between universities and industry.
Rex Forestry acknowledged the symposium organisers, participating universities, lecturers and students for their contribution to the visit, and reiterated its interest in supporting opportunities that connect forestry knowledge with practice.
