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Wale Akinselure
Outgoing Director-General of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Professor Adeshola Adepoju has bemoaned that about 90 per cent of the nation’s land area is deforested leaving only about 10 per cent forested.
He said it was worrisome that the 10 per cent forestation in Nigeria fell short of the recommendation by the United Nations that 30 per cent of every country’s land mass should be forested.
Adepoju disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Ibadan ahead of his leaving office after eight years as Director-General, FRIN.
He lamented that efforts of the present federal government to ensure afforestation including the planting of 10 million trees across the country failed to yield the needed results owing to Nigerians’ failure to appreciate the importance of having trees and forest resources around their houses and shunning arbitrary burning of forests.
Even for the 10 million trees planted, Adepoju said security challenges made monitoring difficult, aside from inadequate funding for tracing to make them fire resistant.
Adepoju said: “We have not moved close to 10 per cent of the land area covered by forest and the United Nations expects us to have at least 25 per cent of our land area forested.
“In fact, the challenge is that the 25 per cent is not adequate and that by 2030, every country should have at least 30 per cent of its land covered by forest.”
He also expressed worry over issues associated with deforestation including manipulated ecosystems, biodiversity resulting from climate changes, harsh weather, and unpredictable rainfall.
Adepoju further warned that the consequences of deforestation and poor management of the environment and forest resources are immeasurable.
He noted that Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, continued to suffer flooding owing to a decision taken, years ago, by authorities to sand-fill a lake in Alalubosa area.
Adepoju said the then Alalubosa lake served as a natural house for excess water in Ibadan in the past.
For that singular decision to fill up the lake, he said the State government annually committed money to expanding and concretising drainages, clearing and expanding waterways and implementing other flood control and management measures.
“Ibadan is still paying dearly for the lake in Alalubosa that was filled up. That lake was a natural house for the excess water of Ibadan in the past. Since the lake was filled up, there has been flooding in Ibadan at one time or the other.
“Imagine what government is now spending on expanding drainages, concretising drainages. Imagine the cost that the Alalubosa lake was saving the state from spending. Now it is filled up, you know the value,” Adepoju said.
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