Nigeria is home to 1,129 forest reserves, 29 game reserves, four game sanctuaries, and seven national parks, all serving vital ecological and socio-economic functions.
However, these reserves are grappling with multifaceted challenges, leading to their mismanagement.
A Fertile Spread Of Greenery
The country’s forest resources, supporting both formal and informal sectors, face immense pressure due to a wide range of forest industries. The formal sector, primarily wood-based, encompasses well-developed industries such as sawmills, veneer and plywood manufacturing, particle board production, and furniture manufacturing.
In contrast, the informal sector, which is the largest consumer of wood in Nigeria, engages in burning wood as fuel and utilizing non-wood forest products.
The private sector predominantly controls the forest industry in the country.
Emerging Problems
Beyond economic pressures, certain forest areas, like the expansive Sambisa forest in the North-east, have faced security challenges. Sambisa became a stronghold for Boko Haram during the insurgency, showcasing how such areas can be exploited by criminal elements. Other national parks and reserves, such as Yankari National Park and Gashaka Gumti National Park, have also fallen victim to insurgents and bandits.
Environmentalists Concerns
Environmentalists raise concerns about the cohabitation of cattle with wildlife in these reserves, posing a risk of transmitting zoonotic diseases.
To address these issues, the federal government is urged to take decisive action, removing herders from forest reserves and national parks.
However, significant challenges hinder forestry development in Nigeria. These include issues related to forest ownership inhibiting federal intervention, unlimited powers of State Chief Executives to de-reserve or exploit forests, and the lack of legal backing for forest policies. Additionally, poor funding, proliferation of agencies with overlapping duties, and outdated state forestry legislation contribute to the obstacles faced in sustaining and managing the country’s forests.
FAO’s Position
Issues That Must Be Addressed
●Forest ownership that inhibits Federal intervention for sustainability.
●Unlimited powers of State Chief Executives to de-reserve or exploit the forests.
●Forest policy lacks legal backing and so cannot be enforced.
●Poor State funding of forestry programmes and forest management
●Inadequate financing by Federal Government for forestry development.
●Poor funding of forestry research and training.
●Proliferation of agencies and duplication of duties resulting in cross-sectoral policies and lack of sectoral dialogue.
●Absence of a reliable data base on which to base forestry planning and development.
●Obsolete and unenforceable State Forestry legislation.
●Forest tariffs, which are ridiculously low and are not revised frequently.
These problems must be looked into as soon as possible to stop any form of decline that Nigerian forest reserves may have to face in the distant future.
Culled in by Fortune Omosola
