ADDRESSING THE BANE OF DEFORESTATION

All stakeholders should do more to tackle the country’s faltering environment

Ordinarily, forests are home to wildlife which perform a broad range of critical environmental and climatic functions. These include the maintenance of constant supply of water and ensuring clean air and prevention of desertification, soil, and gully erosion. Forests also harbour species, and at the same time have deep economic, aesthetic, industrial, and religious significance for humans. It is for these reasons that the revelation by the Conservator General of the National Park Service, Mr Ibrahim Goni, that Nigeria loses over 300 hectares of forest reserve daily should go beyond mere lamentation. Especially since he has identified illegal logging and hunting as longstanding threats to forest conservation in the country.

Before Gani’s disclosure, a report by the United Nations had similarly stated that Nigeria has the highest deforestation rate in the world, with an estimated 3.7 per cent of its forest lost every year. Beyond the issue of criminal encroachment, many of our forests are threatened by bush burning and illegal logging, a situation worsened by the absence of measures aimed at their regeneration. As things stand today, only less than 4 per cent of the country’s untouched forest cover is left. More frightening is the fact that 1.5 million trees are felled every day owing to illegal logging. About 484 plant species are also threatened with extinction.

Indeed, of all the five most critical factors that affect the global environment, namely, air pollution, overpopulation, deforestation, climate change and global warming, the biggest threat to Nigeria’s environment remains deforestation. This is without losing sight of the waste management challenges, flooding, desertification, gully soil and coastal erosion that bedevil various parts of the country. Therefore, the need for environmentally and socially equitable approaches to forest management is imperative, especially at a time the nation’s forests are being taken over by bandits and sundry other criminals.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s remaining forests harbour about 4000 different species of plants including those that have been found to be effective in the development of alternative medicine. There are also animals, including birds that can only be found in Nigeria and nowhere else. But all these issues count for little given the state of the environment across the country. For instance, there are almost 3,000 erosion sites in the Southeast. Flooding in Lagos is anything but ordinary. Rising temperature is increasingly becoming unbearable while agriculturists are struggling to adapt to the attendant climate variability with serious socio-economic implications. The National Park Service that is charged with the responsibility of protecting swathes of forests and their biodiversity is lacking capacity apart from being inadequately funded and supported.

Going forward, there is a need to completely reset the country’s environmental agenda. The fight against insurgency and banditry should be ramped up to rein in the devastation and degradation of the natural environment across the country. Environmental remediation measures such as the Great Green Wall Project should be taken more seriously and adequately funded. Stringent statutory provisions should be put in place to protect the various ecosystems and their biodiversity.

Besides, there should be more transparency and accountability in the application of Ecological Funds – the funds must be made to serve its purpose fully and directly. Tougher measures should be put in place to checkmate wanton emission of noxious and deleterious gases through gas flaring and use of outdated machines. Electricity challenges in the country should be addressed to minimise the use of power generating sets. The Green Recovery Project of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) must attract deserved encouragement and partnership.

If we must reclaim our country from the hazards of nature, especially deforestation, several important measures will have to be taken in the coming years by the government and other stakeholders.