Conservationist undertakes reforestation in push for green recovery in Nigeria

Nigeria’s foremost conservationist, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), says it has undertaken extensive reforestation, planting 285,000 trees across the country in an aggressive push for green recovery.

The tree planting project is under the foundation’s Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN) programme which has been integrated into its five-year Strategic Action Plan (SAP) that started in 2021.

The GRN programme, which the foundation is implementing in collaboration with many international and local donors, including corporate partners, started in 2017, according to Phillip Asiodu, the Foundation’s president.

Asiodu who spoke at the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Foundation held recently in Lekki, Lagos, explained that “GRN is a 30-year ambitious programme which seeks to recover and restore Nigeria’s forest cover from the current 7 percent to 25 percent by 2047.”

“We are consistently pushing towards achieving this goal. Last year, with the support from our partners, we planted over 285, 000 trees across the country,” he revealed, adding that several conservation projects were implemented under their Saving Species in Peril Pillar.

RIB Adebiyi, chairman, National Executive Council, stressed that through their various reforestation and habitat restoration projects, the foundation has rehabilitated degraded landscapes and promoted ecosystem resilience in addition to planting 285,000 trees under the GRN programme.

Under the habitat restoration programme, the chairman disclosed that the foundation has continued to manage several forest reserves, including Lekki Conservation Centre which stretches 78 hectares; Becheve Nature Reserve, 120 hectares; Omo Forest Reserve, 65,000 hectares; Finima Nature Park, 1000 hectares; and Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands Conservation, 350,000 hectares.

In conserving wildlife, she said, their efforts in protecting endangered species have shown promising results, disclosing that they established Vulture Safe Zones in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria where they still have relatively viable population of the Critically Endangered Hooded Culture.

The chairman announced that the financial health of the foundation was strong, because they have always ensured that every naira is used effectively towards achieving their conservation goals. “Our fund-raising efforts have been successful and we have seen an increase in donations and grants, reflecting the growing trust and confidence in our work,” she noted.

Giving his report on the activities of the foundation in the year under review, Joseph Onoja, the director general of the foundation, said that 2023 was a great year for NCF, as it was the third year of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP), pointing out, however, that there were also some challenges.

“Guided by the SAP, we became more focused and innovative, and implemented impactful programmes and projects on environmental sustainability and nature conservation. Despite the challenges that characterised the year globally, , we have demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability. We have made significant progress in our mission to preserve Nigeria’s biodiversity and promote sustainable development,” the DG said.

NCF, like any other human society, is not without its own challenges as, according to the DG, while they celebrate some success stories, they would not lose sight or fail to acknowledge the challenges they had faced in the course of the year under review.

“Issues such as donor fatigue, change of leadership of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) necessitated by the coming of new governments in Nigeria, limited co-operation from some state governments, illegal logging, , habitat encroachment and climate change continued to pose significant threat to our conservation efforts,” he said.

He added, however, that those challenges have also provided valuable lessons, reinforcing the importance of resilience, innovation and collaboration.

Moving ahead, Onoja disclosed that the foundation would be focusing on programme expansion for impact, strengthening partnerships, training and capacity development, and promoting sustainability.

He explained that expanding their programmes for more impact and visibility was their major focus, adding that they were getting into more states and communities to cover more crucial habitats and species, ensuring comprehensive protection of Nigeria’s biodiversity.