NCF Partners with Nature Eco Capital, Others to Inaugurate Business Advisory Group on Biodiversity

Bennett Oghifo

Nigeria Business Advisory Group on Biodiversity (BAG) has been inaugurated by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), in partnership with Nature Eco Capital, Business for Nature and other stakeholders.

“The main objective of BAG is to enable the business community and private sector take their place in the implementation of the conservation of biodiversity in Nigeria,” said the Director General of NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, at the inauguration in Abuja on Friday.

Onoja said the inauguration of BAG, and the Nigeria Biodiversity Finance (BIOFIN) was to mobilise private sector action to support Nigeria’s biodiversity goals under the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), which will “serve as a national framework for conserving biodiversity and ensuring it is sustainably used in alignment with the global goals and targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity.”

He said, “The objectives of BIOFIN and BAG are; to align stakeholders on the Nigeria’s NBSAP progress and next steps for implementation; build understanding of BIOFIN and its methodology to strengthen biodiversity finance planning.

“It co-defines the role, structure and next steps for operationalising the BAG, including commitments towards the Business Action Plan (BAP).

“So, we came together as partners with Nature Eco Capital with funding from Business for Nature to make that happen.

“This is because raw materials are taken from nature, there is, therefore, the need for the business to have that interest in nature for continuity and perpetuity of their businesses.

“So, whatever they do, they will not harm nature negatively, because conservation of biodiversity is the business of everybody.

“This will help us see what we can do to continue to improve the conservation of biodiversity in Nigeria.”

Africa Lead, Business for Nature, Mrs Oluwasooto Ajayi, said, “Through the partnership, we will be shaping the regional and global direction, while at the same time enabling national implementation of the global biodiversity framework.

“One of our focuses for long has been advocacy for the global biodiversity framework, and now we are looking at implementation.

“It is important, therefore, for us to have this project in Nigeria and other influential countries to show what is possible and how businesses can get involved in supporting the implementation of business-related targets of the global biodiversity framework.

“We want to have an economy that recognises the foundation that we have through biodiversity.

“This support we are providing and the technical one from our partners are just meant to catalyse a lot more.”