By Uwumarogie
On many occasions, environmentalists have drawn the attention of Nigerians to a report issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, indicating that Nigeria has the highest rate of deforestation in the world as of 2005.
Also, worried by the report and its implications, government, non-governmental organisations and environmental agencies, among other stakeholders, have evolved pragmatic approaches to checking the menace.
These approaches notwithstanding, concerned citizens observe that tree-felling across the country, which they sight as one of the causes of desertification, is rampant.
They suggest that any approach targeting at addressing desertification should involve checking the activities of tree-fellers who engage in tree-felling for commercial purposes such as charcoal production, building and outright sale of the felled trees as firewood.
Ms Amina Mohammed, former Minister of Environment observes that the fact that one-third of the earth’s land mass is covered by vegetation has a purpose to reduce soil erosion and check desert encroachment.
According to her, apart from preventing natural disaster, more than 1.6 billion people across the world depend majorly on forest resources for livelihood which ought to be protected.
She, therefore, urged Nigerians to join hands with governments at all levels in their efforts at preserving the nation’s forest resources.
Corroborating Mohammed, Mr Adeniyi Karunwi, Director General, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, observed that tree-fellers had cut most of the trees that would have provided the needed cover for the earth.
Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Samuel Ibrahim of the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai, said: “large numbers of trees are cut down daily through the illegal activities of loggers.
“The economic trees being lost included those of shear, mango, cashew, orange and almond, among others.
“Desertification is almost encroaching into our green areas; it can be checked if people replace lost trees by re-planting them,’’ he said.
In spite of this, Mr Akinrele Olusegun, observed that although re-planting trees could be useful, it would be meaningless if constant felling of trees for domestic purposes continued.
He mentioned charcoal producers as perpetrators of tree-felling for personal economic gains, contributing to deforestation in the country.
He said constant felling of trees for fuel wood should be discouraged by the relevant authorities.
“The common effect of charcoal production is deforestation which has seriously affected our forests and driving our environment to the corridors of desertification,’’ he said.
He noted further that many citizens did not respect laws prohibiting indiscriminate felling of trees, warning that anybody caught would be prosecuted.
He urged governments at all levels to assists in funding environment agencies while cautioning environment experts and researchers against embezzling funds meant for relevant environment agencies. Tree planting in Zamfara (Photo: WordPress.com)
Apparently disapproving cutting down trees for charcoal making, the National Council on Environment, recently approved total ban on production, sales and export of charcoal.
The ban followed the adoption of a memorandum by the Federal Ministry of Environment entitled: “Request for Total Ban of Charcoal Export and Control of Interstate Fuel Wood Trade in Nigeria.’’
The memo sought the outright ban on the commodities and the regulation of interstate fuel wood and charcoal trade in an effort to increase the areas under forest cover.
However, Dr Dupe Ogunsusi, an environmentalist, observed that for the policy to be effective, government should subsidise the prices of kerosene, make electricity stable and regulate the cost of cooking gas.
Similarly, Minister of Environment Ibrahim Usman called on stakeholders to collaborate with government in its efforts to restore the integrity of the country’s forestry.
In addition to this, Karunwi said his foundation had been working hard to ensure successful implementation of environment restoration and conservation projects in the affected areas.
He, however, noted that the concern of the foundation was the restoration and conservation of dry and wetlands habitat in the Sahel region for improved livelihood.
He added that if about two-third of the estimated population of the Nigeria’s population could plant or adopt a tree within their areas, desert encroachment would be addressed.
“With that, the nation would well be on the pathway towards having more of its land mass covered by forest for the nation’s socio-economy development,’’ he observed.
Stressing the importance of tree-planting, especially economic trees, Mrs Mobola Sagoe of the National Association of Shea Butter Producers in Nigeria, said that shea nut could generate huge money for the country annually.
“Nigeria produces over 700 tonnes of shea nuts; the tree is very unique in nature; it can grow up as high as 15 metres.
The tree has a 200-year life span and could produce between 25 kilogrammes and 50 kilogrammes of nuts annually.
Sagoe, nonetheless, said that with the growing demand for firewood and charcoal in the country, the shea tree faced extinction.
Similarly, Ms Folashade Ogunjobi, a final year student of French Language, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said that charcoal business had affected most of economic trees across the country.
“Even, economic trees that usually provide fruits where sellers make money from have been felled to produce charcoal, even though the trees also serve as check for erosion and desertification,’’ she said.
Giving reasons for the popular demand for charcoal, Malam Abdullahi Goni, a charcoal seller in Abuja, said that unsteady electricity, prices of cooking gas and kerosene, had made more people to choose charcoal for cooking.
Also, Mrs Zainab Sanusi, a charcoal seller in Karu, Abuja, admitted that although she was aware of the negative effects of the business on the environment, she had no choice than to continue with the charcoal trade as her means of livelihood.
“The business is paying my bills because more people are patronising me regularly, especially those who cannot afford the high cost of cooking gas and kerosene,’’ she said.
But Mr Bahijjatu Abubakar, an officer of the Federal Ministry of Power and Steel, said that more than 1.3 million women had been registered to benefit from clean energy cook stove to be made available by government as one of the measures to check tree felling.
All in all, Dr Newton Jibunoh, Founder, Fight Against Desert Encroachment, advised the government to initiate programmes to check desert encroachment to avoid its devastating effects on the country.
“If we continue the way we are today, nothing will be left; what we are trying to do is to exhibit the images of expedition to global community to see the danger Africa is facing from desert encroachment.
He, therefore, urged every Nigerian to be part of the crusade against desert encroachment to mitigate the negative effects of desertification.