Mohammed Haruna Yusuf
29 October 2008
Experts' from the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) and the Federal Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, gathered yesterday in Abuja to dialogue on issues relating to environment, focusing specifically on deforestation and desertification.
Speaking at the national dialogue, the Special Adviser to the President on NEPAD, Ambassador Tunji Olagunju, who was represented by Emmanuel Ogbile, said that the environment has been identified as one of the core priority initiatives of NEPAD.
"NEPAD Nigeria further recognises that a key objective of the environment initiative must be to combat poverty and contribute to socio-economic development of the country. It also recognises that the range of issues necessary to nurture this environment base is vast and complex and that a systematic combination of initiatives is necessary to develop a coherent environmental programme.
The Minister of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, Halima Tayo Alao, said "that the gathering of experts at this National Dialogue jointly organised by NEPAD and my Ministry, is a manifestation of our unrelenting commitment to partner with all stakeholders and development partners.
"We are gathered have to map out effective strategies to surmount the myriad environmental problems slowing down the country's march to achieve sustainable development and improve the livelihood of our people".
The Minister noted that the processes of deforestation and desertification are two major environmental challenges of great concern to the country and they constitute a major barrier to meeting basic human needs. "The environmental hazards of these twin problems though distinct, provide mutual feedbacks and are far from being independent of each other. They consequently have similar implications and solutions.
She said that deforestation in Nigeria is occurring at an unprecedented pace. "Nigeria losses 409, 700 hectares of forest per year which amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 2.38%. The forests in northern Nigeria have almost whittled completely thereby empowering steady movement of the desert southwards. Mr. Chidindu Eze Ozo, Director, Policy Analysis Monitoring and Inspection of the Ministry, while representing the minister, said "without adequate concerted efforts to tackle the problems of deforestation and desertification on a greater scale, the dry land areas of the country could be at risk of ecological disaster.
She said that the government is very conscious of the degenerating state of the environment in the desertification frontline states and has adopted steps to ensure that a productive society is maintained.
The actions plan include the national action programme (NAP), development of national drought and desertification policy and national drought preparedness plan, national forestry policy and action plan and the national biodiversity action plan among others.
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