By Sunday Oyinloye
Concerned about the challenges of land degradation and deforestation in Nigeria, stakeholders from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government, Civil Society Groups, Youth, staff of the National Assembly, the private sector, media, and international funding agencies have taken a stand on the actions they must initiate to urgently address the issues.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ workshop convened by Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment(GLOBE) in Abuja, the President of GLOBE Nigeria, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, charged the stakeholders to take seriously the conversation bearing in mind that their resolutions will be critical in addressing significant issues such as food insecurity and shortages, the Sahel conflicts, and ultimately position Nigeria on a path of food security while also helping in the mitigation of climate change.
Explaining the focus of the workshop, National Coordinator of GLOBE Nigeria, Nnaemeka Oruh, disclosed that about 670 million people globally may face hunger and 750million people displaced in Africa by 2030 due to drought and loss of arable land,
According to Nnaemeka, the workshop gives stakeholders the chance to identify pathways for the rehabilitation of degraded lands and afforestation in Nigeria and also to prescribe specific responsibilities of stakeholders.
There were presentations on “Addressing Nigeria’s Deforestation and land degradation issues; and the Role of Stakeholders”; “Addressing Nigeria’s land degradation issues: The GGWI Pathway and the Role of Stakeholders”; and “The ACReSAL Project in Nigeria”.
In her remarks, Dr Iganya Joy Agene, Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank (Nigeria), commended the Federal Government on the steps taken towards addressing land degradation and deforestation issues in the country.
According to her, the stakeholders’ workshop is an opportunity for the Federal Government and her partners to discuss the critical role of stakeholders in addressing land degradation and deforestation issues in line with the country’s commitment to restore 4 million hectares of land by 2030.
She stressed the need for collaboration between the World Bank and GLOBE to address land degradation and deforestation in the country to achieve Nigeria’s commitment of restoring 4 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
