World Forest Day: Environmentalists say Nigeria’s forests, reduced to less than 25%

Some environmentalists on Monday said that unwholesome human activities had reduced the nation’s forest resources to less than 25 per cent.

The environment experts made the assertion during an event in Lagos State to commemorate the 2021 World Forest Day, held every March 21, to raise public consciousness on conservation of forests.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2021 edition is “Forest Recovery, a Path and Wellbeing’’.

The environmentalists, who envisaged danger as a result of depletion of forests, advised Nigerians to always replenish nature, whenever their activities caused violation of nature.

At the event, Executive Director, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, Nigeria, Dr Leslie Adogame, said “with reduced forestry resources the human habitat is under threat of climate change’’.

In his own speech, Executive Director of ANI Foundation, Mr Tunde Morakinyo, said planting of trees as a culture would save the country from the vagaries of nature.

Morakinyo called on the government to provide adequate security in the nation’s forest reserves to curb logging and protect some essential species from extinction.

“Trees provide shade and cool our cities, prevent flooding, help our threatened biodiversity, provide fruits, vegetables, medicine, timber, poles, sequester carbon and beautify the society.

“Trees such as mango, neem, avocado and bush pear are indigenous to the country and play prominent role in balancing the environment hence they should be protected.

The organisers of the event, Urban Tree Revival Initiative (UTRI) said it would collaborate with some other organisations to establish COVID-19 memorial forests in some parts of the country.

UTRI Director, Ms Omobola Eko said that this would be in memory of those that lost their lives during the global pandemic.