The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, has said the Federal Government recognises the challenge posed by deforestation and the importance of maintaining the diversity of genetic resources, species, and ecosystems for improving the livelihood of the people.
He said, to this end, the continuous development of tourism centres and in-situ conservation areas through ecological representatives such as National Parks, Game Reserves, Strict Nature Reserves and sanctuaries were given top priority by the present administration.
The minister, in a statement to mark the International Day for Biodiversity, signed by his Special Assistant, Communication, Esther Agbarakwe, said: “Biodiversity is fundamental to the livelihoods of our communities: they rely on it for environmental sustenance, economic and social activities.
He added that the services that the elite also relied on had a link with biodiversity, the activities of the economic sector, be it productive, extractive or social; had positive or negative impacts on biodiversity.
He maintained that government also supported the development of ex-situ conservation areas like the zoological and botanical gardens throughout the federation, saying, “This does not only enhance biodiversity conservation but also promotes sustainable tourism and provides educational and job opportunity for the youths.”
“This will not only restore our degraded ecosystems but also enhance our tourism and cultural values, and build ecosystem resilience against the impact of climate change.
“We remain committed to implementing the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), which has been reviewed in line with the Global Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation 2011-2020 and it’s Aichi Biodiversity Target,” Jibril said.
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