World World Environment Day: FG Tasks stakeholders To Leverage On Shifting Attention To Nature Based Solution

The Federal Government is not unmindful of the alarming rate of deforestation and has continued to engage local and international stakeholders to bring situation under control.

Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood-Abubakar said the engagement was in addition to the formulation of enabling policies and legislations in tackling environmental and climate change challenges.

Dr. Mahmood-Abubakar stated these in Osogbo, Osun State at the 2021 World Environment Day Celebration Themed “Ecosystem Retoration Resetting Our Relation With Nature”.

The minister said “Without any sense of equivocation, this theme has been carefully chosen to reflect our startling existential realities as evidenced by the imbalances being experienced in the ecosystem, hence a clarion call for urgent action.”

He stressed that “Man’s interaction with nature, coupled with the challenges and impacts of Climate Change, have grossly exacerbated the deleterious state of the environment. Even, the terrestrial and marine ecosystems are not spared. It is instructive that the world population especially Africa, has continued to increase geometrically, leading to an unprecedented competition for the available meagre resources for survival.

According to him, “Other endemic factors such as poverty, food shortage, high unemployment rate, and recently COVID-19 pandemic have significantly worsened the ecosystem, resulting in weak resilience and adaptation and thereby denying us of its invaluable services.”

To redress the adversities Dr. Mahmood-Abubakar urged all stakeholders endeavour to leverage shifting of attention to the Nature Based Solution to climate change adaptation and resilience to ensure the needed restoration and sustainable development goals.

“The Federal Government has also commenced execution of nature-based programmes and projects to address the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss in view of their multiple benefits which include among others, climate amelioration, improved ecosystem services, enhanced water security, enhanced food security (especially through Agroforestry, improved soil organic carbon and water retention, improved productivity and resilience), disaster risk reduction, and improved nature-based jobs and livelihoods” the minister disclosed.

“I am also glad to inform this gathering that Nigerian Government, as a practical demonstration of its commitment to the Paris Agreement on global action on climate crisis, submitted its NDC Interim Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) few days ago.

“This action underscores our determination to achieve the commitment we signed in 2015 to reduce Nigeria’s carbon emissions unconditionally by 20 percent and 45 percent conditionally with international support by 2030. The submission is also to fulfill the requirements for competing in the 2021 Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) Call for Proposal.”

He said “Restoring the ecosystem is an ample opportunity explorable by man if the current dangerous trend must be reversed. It indeed, requires resetting our attitude and relation with nature.”

Speaking, the Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola advocated collaboration of all to restore the glory of the environment.

He tasked Nigerians to take ownership of their environment by naturing and preserving it for the benefit of present and unborn generations.

“I urged citizens to wake up to the realities of the implications of their actions in relation to their interaction with the environment” he said.

Oyetola disclosed that his administration had commenced proactive steps aimed at addressing unlawful actions of ignorant citizens of the State and their collaborators to save the ecosystem and the environment.