Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Environmentalists have raised the alarm over the continued depletion of forests through illegal tree logging, thereby seeking an immediate end to the activities of perpetrators in order to put a check on climate change wreaking havoc across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),
This was the major resolution during a one-day seminar organised by the Development Agenda in collaboration with Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN) in Abuja with the theme: ‘Climate Change and COP28: The Way Forward For Nigeria’.
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) scheduled to hold in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is expected to garner more than 70,000 participants, including heads of state and government, government officials, representatives of international organisations, business leaders, academics and civil society organisations.
In his address, the Publisher and Editor-in-chief of Development Agenda Magazine, Mr Paddy Ezeala, lamented that people are cutting down trees in Cross Rivers, Ondo, Ogun, as well as in some North-central states recklessly without adequate provision for massive tree planting.
He decried that Nigeria is experiencing four per cent forest loss annually, which is considered as the highest globally, adding that a further 1.5 million trees are estimated to cut down daily through illegal logging, thereby leading to 3.5 per cent deforestation annually.
Ezeala stated that the citing of a foreign privately-owned charcoal producing factory in Nsukka, Enugu State worsened the destruction caused by the foreigners, adding that the adjoining states are affected by the massive logging.
He disclosed that between 1981 and 2000, Nigeria lost 3.7 million hectares of forests, which implied colossal loss of biodiversity, noting that the forest cover had depleted to less than 10 per cent as against the mandate of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) that each state is expected to keep its forest cover to a minimum of 25 per cent of its land area, while about 484 plant species are threatened with extinction.
The publisher while lamenting that the absence of measures aimed at encouraging forest regeneration was a sad one, said: “Related to this is the absence of a valuation system to place a value on forest resources so that when forests are destroyed through individual or corporate negligence, adequate compensation will be paid.”
He stated that there is a need to develop more environmentally and socially equitable approaches to forest management in Nigeria, adding that the wanton destruction of forests across the country must be checked.
According to Ezeala, “Forests perform a broad range of critical environmental and climatic functions, including the maintenance of constant supply of water. Forests harbour species and at the same time have very deep economic, aesthetic, industrial and religious significance for humans.
“However, economic development pressures often lead to the conversion of forest ecosystems without consideration for both the long-term economic costs and the implications of the immediate loss of biodiversity, ecosystem structure and function.”
He sought the need to harness the potential of the forests towards the development of eco-tourism and scientific research rather than the continued illegal logging and wildlife trafficking.
The publisher maintained that Nigeria’s remaining rainforests harbour about 4,000 different species of plants, including those effective in the development of alternative medicine.
“There are also animals, including birds that can be found only in Nigeria. These include the Ibadan malimbe, Anambra waxbill, Jos indigo bird, white-throated monkey (Cercopithecus erythrogaster pococki), Niger Delta pigmy hippo and Niger Delta red colobus monkey.
“The question is what has been done to protect, harness and develop these natural endowments? In other words, we should be able to fashion a sustainable development strategy that ensures the prosperity of humans while living in a way that synchronises with the natural environment,” he said.
He however promoted the need to prioritise tree planting and secure protected areas, noting that the National Park Service and others managing the protected areas should be supported.
The Emir of Nasarawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril, hinted that the rising sea level at the coastal areas, climate change, deforestation, drought and desertification are some of the environmental challenges in Nigeria.
He said though charcoal has been banned, government cannot stop households from cooking with charcoal without providing alternative means of fuel.
The Conservator-General of National Parks Service (NPS), Dr Ibrahim Goni, noted that national parks are contributing immensely in mitigating climate change, just as he charged the media to publish more stories on climate change.
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, adding that three years down the line, the parks are yet to take off, a situation that Goni attributed to delay in the release of gazette by the Ministry of Justice.
The Chairman of EMCAN, Mr Chuks Oyema, said that the essence of the seminar was to showcase how Nigeria is tackling climate change and how the government is prepared for COP28.
He urged the media to publish more stories on climate change and embark on collective actions towards mitigating the impact of climate change on the environment.
