An environmentalist, Nimmo Bassey, has called on the governments at all levels and other stakeholders in the environment sector to encourage planting of trees in order to guide against deforestation and climate change.
He spoke during a workshop and film documentary titled, “Nowhere to run, Nigeria’s climate and environmental crisis,” at Igbinedion University, Okada organised by university in collaboration with the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre.
Bassey, who is the Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, (HOMEF), said Nigeria is already losing its forest adding that such loss contributes to global warming.
“It is all over the country, we have desert encroachment in the north and losing 350,000 hectares of land annually, and Lake Chad is almost lost. There is coastal erosion and oil pollution in the southern part of the country,” he said.
While calling on the government to declare state of emergency on environment sector he said individuals can plant trees and handle waste properly.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor Igbenedion University, Eghosa Osaghae, advised against indiscriminate felling of trees.
He said the university in collaboration with Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre organised the workshop to sensitize the people on the consequences of deforestation and climate change.
Also speaking, the Director, Public Policy Initiative, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Amara Nwankpa said they have taken the film documentary on environment to over 40 locations in the country, mostly universities.
“We are using the documentary to sensitize people and help them to understand the environmental challenges and galvanize them to be part of the solution,” he said.
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