Nigeria’s Kwara Orders Temporary Closure of Forests for Regeneration
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Governor of Kwara State directed the immediate but temporary closure of forests in the state to facilitate the natural regeneration of the forests in the state “in a necessary step to protect the environment and public health”, he said in a post on his X handle.
The directive was issued after a top management meeting of the state Ministry of Environment, chaired by the Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Buge.
She said that the temporary closure was a necessary step to protect the environment and public health and to halt illegal tree-falling for charcoal production.
The measure is also to prevent the practice by saw millers which has often caused distortion in the manner they “cut various kinds of trees without regard for the regeneration process thereby disrupting the Ecosystem”.
The closure will also ensure the implementation of laid down procedures for reforestation.
The Forestry Directorate will partner with stakeholders for various levels of engagements to restore normalcy and ensure that forests were not depleted without regard
Buge implored members of the public who deal in forestry-related products to cooperate with the Ministry and entrench compliance with laws of the state and restrictions during the period of closure. She warned that anyone who contravened the directive would face penalties by the law.