Sign in Subscribe
Sustainable development

Land Use Planning Crucial to Addressing Deforestation in Nigeria

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Nigeria's efforts to address deforestation and sustainably manage its forests are being hindered by the lack of land use planning, a major issue highlighted by the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Ishaq Salako. The minister emphasized that tackling deforestation requires a multifaceted approach, including capacity building and institutional strengthening. He commended the Center for Human Settlements and Sustainable Development Nigeria (CHUSSDEV) for organizing a high-level policy meeting that aligns with the Federal Ministry of Environment's efforts to combat deforestation. The minister expressed hope that the land use study pilot for Cross River State will be scaled up nationwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lack of land use planning is a major obstacle in Nigeria's efforts to address deforestation and sustainably manage its forests.
  • The Federal Ministry of Environment has welcomed initiatives such as the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue to promote sustainable land-use practices and investment opportunities.
  • Agriculture is a major driver of deforestation in Nigeria, as identified in successive empirical studies, including the World Bank's Scoping Study for Analysis of Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Nigeria.
  • The Ministry of Environment prioritizes capacity building and institutional strengthening to tackle deforestation and forest degradation.
  • The High-Level Policy Meeting of Forest Positives for Commodity Export from Nigeria aims to share outcomes and ideas with policymakers and stakeholders to integrate into Nigeria's climate change policy framework.
  • The project will provide a globally acceptable platform to monitor Nigeria's forests and provide zero deforestation assurances for agricultural commodities.
  • The project aims to set the agenda for Nigeria to competitively participate in the global carbon market and promote sustainable commodities.

Statistics:

  • Nigeria has welcomed and endorsed the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use in 2021.
  • The World Bank's Scoping Study for Analysis of Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Nigeria confirmed agriculture as a major driver of deforestation.
  • The High-Level Policy Meeting of Forest Positives for Commodity Export from Nigeria was officially launched in August 2022 with UK-PACT funding.

Sources:

  • [1] Dr. Ishaq Salako, Minister of State for Environment, as quoted in the article.
  • [2] Hajara Sami, Director of the Federal Department of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment, as represented by the Minister of State.
  • [3] Prof. Seyi Fabiyi, Chairman of CHUSSDEV, as quoted in the article.
  • World Bank. (n.d.). Scoping Study for Analysis of Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Nigeria.
  • Center for Human Settlements and Sustainable Development Nigeria (CHUSSDEV). (n.d.). High-Level Policy Meeting of Forest Positives for Commodity Export from Nigeria.

Read more