The Federal Government on Friday announced a National Forest Policy for sustainable forest management and promoting good forest governance to improve livelihood in the country.
Speaking during the launching of the policy and commemoration of the International Day on Forest in Abuja, the Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, said the policy would help to sustain management of forest ecosystems, environment, socio-economic growth of the nation.
He said: “The guiding principles are centred on sustainable forest and national development agenda of poverty reduction, good forest governance, transparency and accountability. The policy is also for biodiversity conservation, sustainable provision of forest goods and services as well as value chain additional and fulfilment of international commitments.
“The policy enunciated relevant strategies in line with globally accepted priority areas of sustainable forest management, which include extent of forest resource, forest health and vitality, among others.
“The national target of increasing the total forest covered from 10 percent to 25 percent by 2022 and the various international commitments appears a daunting task” the minister added.
Ikeazor, who maintained that the government was committed to deliver equitable dividend of democracy, poverty eradication, food security, sustainable development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, hinted that the effort was to enhance community`s inclusiveness in sustainable forest management.
Describing the forest sector as an important natural capital asset in the attainment of the national development objectives of the country, the minister commended the global collaboration with the Federal Government in its efforts targeted at ensuring sustainable management of the forest.
In his remarks at the forum, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mallam Hassan Musa, explained that the National Day of Forest is usually celebrated every March 21 as declared by UN General Assembly to create awareness on the importance of forests to mankind.
He explained that the 2022 International Day of Forest had the theme ‘Forests and Sustainable Production and Consumption’, adding that the marking of the day in Nigeria is due to the effective preparation of the inauguration of the policy.
Musa, who pointed out that the national forest policy was a necessary tool for the growth and development of the forest sector, lamented the rising rate of deforestation in the country in view of its , threat to human survival and other negative impacts, ranging from flooding, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and global warming, among others.
The Permanent Secretary expatiated: “The spate of these challenges has continued to soar in recent years resulting to poverty, job loss, food shortage and insecurity.
“Advancing sustainable production and consumption of our forests will require turning declarations and pledges into transformative actions.
“These actions must respond to current and future challenges to drive the kind of transformative changes required to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030”, Musa added.
