Coastal erosion major challenge to environment — Minister

The Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako has said coastal erosion was a major challenge to the ministry but assured that the federal government would collaborate with states in the area to tackle its menace.

Salako made this known when the  Director General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Dr. Joseph Onoja, paid him an official working visit to the ministry on Monday in Abuja.

According to a statement by  Ibrahim Haruna, Head, Press and Public Relations unit of the ministry, the minister stated that the issue of coastal erosion along Lekki-Epe axis and other areas along coastal states would soon be resolved as his ministry and other coastal states and the foundation would team up in tackling the erosion.

He pointed out that coastal erosion is a major challenge to the ministry and has been identified as one of the key priority areas that need effective collaboration between the federal and states in the coastal areas and the foundation.

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Salako also assured that the ministry would partner with the foundation for the promotion of nature conservation, natural and environmental resource management and sustainability development issues in Nigeria.

The minister, therefore,  urged the NCF to do a lot of public environmental awareness and sensitization on forest conservation.

Earlier, the Director General, Nigerian Conservation foundation (NCF), Dr. Joseph Onoja disclosed that the Foundation is the birdlife international Partner in Nigeria, an Association of World Wide Fund Formation (WWF) and a member of the World Conservation Union (WCU) and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Onoja revealed that the Foundation forged effective and enduring mutually beneficial partnership with Federal Ministry of Environment and other relevant Ministerial and Extra Ministerial Department, (MDAs) and other relevant stakeholders to enhance the preservative of Nigerians’ unique biodiversity, boost livelihood  and inspire sustainable; lifestyle for the benefit of  humans, nature and Nigeria.