A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Mr Sunny Onuesoke has raised the alarm over continued loss of economic trees to deforestation in Nigeria.
He said Nigeria’s forests were fast disappearing, adding that urgent steps were needed to protect them.
The PDP chieftain, who spoke to journalists on the sideline during a two-day sensitisation workshop for high-level state forest directors, local government authorities and civil society groups to create awareness on national forest inventory, lamented that the current level of mass deforestation was alarming.
He explained that deforestation had become a severe issue due to the country’s rapidly growing population, coupled with the increasing demand for timber, fire wood, and agricultural land.
“According to the United Nations, Nigeria has the highest deforestation rate in the world, with an estimated 3.7% of its forest lost every year,” he stated.
He explained that “deforestation disrupts the natural balance of ecosystems, leading to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, changes in the local climate, and contributes to releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.”
Onuesoke advised that, “To address the issue of deforestation in Nigeria, several solutions can be implemented.
“One approach is to promote sustainable agricultural practices that can help to reduce the pressure on forests.
“This can be achieved through the use of better farming techniques, such as conservation agriculture, agro forestry and the use of improved seeds and fertilisers.
“Another solution is to promote sustainable forestry practices, such as selective logging, reforestation and afforestation.
“Efforts can be made to improve law enforcement and address corruption, which can help reduce illegal logging and other activities contributing to deforestation.”
