The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has said the National Forestry Trust Fund was established to address inadequacy of funds in forestry management.
The minister, who made this known at the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19), said the fund had supported afforestation and reforestation programmes across the country in the last two years.
Malam Balarabe disclosed that the federal government had taken proactive steps to accelerate, facilitate and deepen various afforestation initiatives.
He said the initiatives are part of the strategic national development roadmap under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said Nigeria has designated 10 new national parks in addition to the seven previous ones, “with the ambition to halt human-induced extinction of wild species, forest loss and degradation, securing species recovery and restoration of jeopardised ecosystems.
“Moving forward as part of our nature based solution to biodiversity loss, climate change and food insecurity, Nigeria is making a giant step to explore new opportunities that could preserve and protect remaining forest through the enormous potential of Bamboo and Rattan development.
Malam Balarabe also said that the President Bola Tinubu administration intends to promote increased public and private investments in forestry as one of the systematic approaches to increasing the nation’s cover and contribute to Target 1 of the Global Forest Goals.
The minister commended the efforts of international donors like the German government and USAID, for their innovative support in protecting Nigeria’s ecosystems and joining efforts in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade of endangered species.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) 2017 – 2030 and the Quadrennial Programme of Work for the period 2021 – 2024 as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.
The Nigerian delegation at the UNFF19 Conference included Professor Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State and Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.
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