Nigeria loses 1.14 million hectares of tree in 20 years

Adebayo Obajemu

According to the Global Forest Watch, Nigeria has lost 1.14 million hectares of tree between 2001 and 2021 in a span of 20 years. During this period, about 587 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted, which was equivalent to a 11% decrease in tree cover since 2000 and equal to 587 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, according to Global Forest Watch, a platform that provides data and monitors forests.

Logging which has become common place in Nigeria is putting pressure on Nigeria’s natural forests.

President Muhammadu Buhari told a COP15 meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on May 9 that Nigeria had established a national forestry trust fund to help regenerate the country’s forests. That may not be enough as the country loses forests at a faster pace.

“Protecting the forest means protecting ourselves. When we destroy the forest, we destroy humanity,” said Femi Obadun, director of forest management for Ondo state’s agriculture ministry.

Anjorin Adetogun, a doctoral student of forestry told Business Hallmark that ” government needs to do more to protect our environment. When we kill the environment, we are indirectly killing the ecosystem that feeds us.