Environmentalists have revealed a pressing concern on Nigeria’s staggering 4% annual forest loss, the highest on a global scale.
In a seminar organised by Development Agenda Magazine and EMCAN in Abuja, experts emphasised the dire consequences of illegal tree logging in states like Cross Rivers, Ondo, Ogun, and the North Central region.
The seminar had as theme “Climate Change and COP28: The Way Forward For Nigeria”.
It underscored the urgency to address the estimated daily felling of 1.5 million trees, contributing to a 3.5% deforestation rate annually.
In a welcome address, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Development Agenda Magazine,
Paddy Ezeala, lamented the reckless destruction in various states and highlighted the exacerbating impact of a foreign-owned charcoal factory in Nsukka, Enugu State.
Ezeala underscored the absence of a valuation system for forest resources, calling for adequate compensation for negligent destruction.
According to him, between 1981 and 2000, Nigeria lost 3.7 million hectares of forests, resulting in a colossal loss of biodiversity.
Ezeala urged a shift towards environmentally and socially equitable forest management approaches, emphasising the need to curb the wanton destruction of forests nationwide.
He advocated harnessing forest potential for eco-tourism and scientific research instead of illegal logging and wildlife trafficking.
He said Nigeria’s remaining rainforests, hosting approximately 4000 plant species and unique wildlife, are seen as vital resources for sustainable development.
The Emir of Nasarawa, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, highlighted environmental challenges such as rising sea levels, climate change, deforestation, drought, and desertification affecting Nigeria.
The conservator-general of the National Parks Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni, stressed the crucial role of national parks in mitigating climate change.
He, however, said the delay in the establishment of 10 new national parks, approved in 2020 was attributed to gazette release delays by the Ministry of Justice.
He recalled that the federal government had in 2020 approved the establishment of 10 new national parks to complement the existing parks across the country.
Three years down the line, the parks are yet to take-off, a situation Goni attributed to delay in the release of gazette by the Ministry of Justice.
He added that as soon as the gazette is released the parks would take-off, saying the NPS had received approval from the federal government.
Chairman of EMCAN, Chuks Oyema, said the essence of the seminar was to showcase how Nigeria is tackling climate change and how the government is prepared for COP28.