The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Mahmood on Sunday said the rate of deforestation in Nigeria was alarming, stressing that the federal government has taken steps to bring the situation under control.
He spoke in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, at an event marking the 2021 World Environment Day with the theme ‘Ecosystem Restoration: Resetting our Relation with Nature’.
He said the federal government had also commenced the execution of nature-based programmes and projects to address the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss in view of their multiple benefits.
He said the benefits of the programmes included climate amelioration, improved ecosystem services, enhanced water security, food security through agroforestry, improved soil organic carbon and water retention, productivity and resilience, disaster risk reduction, and improved nature-based jobs and livelihoods.
In his remark, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola commended the federal government for the bold step towards preserving the economy and ensuring proper relations between human and the habitat.
