Onyebuchi Ezigbo
25 June 2009
Abuja — Federal Government said yesterday that more than 37 percent of the country's forest reserves were lost between 1990 and 2005 as a result of illegal and uncontrolled logging, incessant bush burning, fuel wood gathering and clearing of forests for other land uses.
Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, who gave statistics of the negative impact of deforestation on the country's economy, at the opening of a stakeholders meeting organised by the Ecological Fund Office in Abuja, alerted the nation of the looming danger of declining soil productivity, desertification, loss of aquatic life, coastal/soil erosion, biodivesity, water and air pollution arising from the phenomenom.
"The mass and incessant nationwide deforestation has resulted in poor soil productivity, desertification, loss of aquatic life, coastal/soil erosion, biodivesity, water and air pollution, drying up of water bodies, erratic flooding causing loss of life and property and diseases", he said.
The Minister further said that statisitics from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) indicates that Nigeria is experiencing an annual rate of deforestation of about 3.5percent.
"It is obvious that we are facing an alarming situation, which requires collective and decisive action from all of us", he said.
Odey, whose speech was read by the Director of Ecological Fund Office, Dr. Tunji Bolaji, said the Federal Government was very much aware of the serious implications of the ugly trend to our economic survival and is taking decisive step to check it.
He said a further indication of the precarious state of our forest resources could seen from the declining fortunes of the country from a major exporter of 786,560 cubic feet of industrial wood in 1964 to an importer of wood at present.
The Minister said President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed that a massive National Afforestation Programme to be funded by the Ecological Fund Office be embarked upon immediately.
The programme known as the 'the Presidential Initiative on Afforestation Programme for Economic and Environmental Sustainability' involves the planting of several millions of trees annually.
It also meant to serve as an instrument for community and regional development as well as for employment creation and youth empowerment.
Odey said the aim of the meeting which has representatives of all the state governments in attendance is to draw up a road map for the successful implementation of the afforestation programme.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Fund Office, Dr. Imoro Kubor said the national afforestation campaign will be funded through the National Committee on Ecological Problems and Ecological Fund Office
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