FG Plans Promotion of Private Forest Ownership In Nigeria
By Juliet Ukanwosu
As part of efforts to address the challenges facing Forest conservation in Nigeria, the federal government has disclosed plans to promote private forest ownership in Nigeria.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal Abbas, who made the disclosure, said the Ministry is set to inaugurate a taskforce to encourage private ownership of forest in the country, with the aim of increasing private sector participation of forest conservation in the country.
He explained that the initiative would also serve as revenue generation and increase in the country’s forest cover to at least 25percent in tandem with minimum global requirement.
The minister disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Marchants (FCGICM) led by its President, Mrs. Florence Omolola Idowu, recently in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the task force would be drawn from relevant departments and agencies such as Forestry, National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NGGW), Agro Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Land Scape (ACReSAL) and Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN). He added that key relevant associations such as FCGICM and Wood Exporters Association (WEA) among others would also be included in the taskforce.
Speaking further he said, “We are facing a lot of critical challenges about the forest in Nigeria, and it calls for drastic steps to tackle such problems. The Ministry is ready to support the Association, but would not allow anyone felling trees in the forest.
“There is a need to inaugurate a task force to sensitise and create awareness to the general public on the need to have a private forest as this will increase the country’s GDP and increase our forest cover to at least 25percent in tandem with minimum global requirement,” the Minister added.
Balarabe however, noted that forest is the mainstay of some communities in Nigeria, adding that there would be a need to seek an alternative for charcoal other than felling of trees.
He explained that there are several other products that can be used for charcoal than wood, pointing out that the ministry is working assiduously to come up with innovations to support the National Clean Cooking Policy recently launched in the country.
He further urged the association to have a round table discussion with the forestry department and come out with alternative sources of charcoal that will not involve felling of trees.
Speaking earlier, the President, Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Marchants, Mrs. Florence Jones Idowu, stated that the association is seeking to get Nigeria’s Forest stewardship Council Certification and Nigeria European Union Deforestation Regulatory (EURD) compliance.
She explained that the certification of Forest reserve is necessary as it ensures that they comply with global standard, guidelines, Nigeria timber legality and Forest policy.
“The essence of this is to look at the goods going out to European Union countries and the American market, perhaps they are coming to certify Forests and this will help to curb deforestation in the country,” she noted.
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