Nigeria Lost 1.25Million Hectares of Forest to Logging, Others in 20 Years, Wild Africa Reports
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Day of Forests, the Wild Africa, a conservation organisation, has issued a stark warning against the alarming rate of deforestation in Nigeria.
Nigeria is not alone according to Wild Africa as forests across Africa are fast disappearing at an alarming rate, with deforestation occurring at over four million hectares per year—twice the global average.
In a report penultimate Friday called on the Nigerian government, private sector, and conservation groups to intensify efforts to protect the nation’s forests, which serve as crucial habitats for its diverse wildlife species.
It said, over the past two decades Nigeria suffered a 12% reduction in tree cover, amounting to a loss of approximately 1.25 million hectares of forest.
Alarmingly, around 60% of this deforestation is attributed to logging, agricultural expansion through slash-and-burn farming, and commercial plantation development.
The theme of this year’s International Day of Forests, “Forests and Foods,” highlights the vital role forests play in ensuring food security, nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods.
Forests provide essential resources such as food, fuel, medicinal ingredients, income, and employment, especially for communities near these ecosystems.
Additionally, forests help protect water resources, sequester carbon emissions, enhance soil fertility, and support crop pollination.
According to the organisation, the continued depletion of Africa’s forests poses severe threats to biodiversity, food security, climate stability, and the well-being of communities dependent on forest resources.
Wild Africa noted that forests sustain about 1.6 billion people globally—or 25% of the world’s population—by providing them with food, livelihoods, employment, and income.
The organisation further stated that Nigeria’s forests, including the Cross River National Park, are rich in biodiversity and serve as a sanctuary for endangered species such as the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, drill monkeys, forest elephants, and the critically endangered Cross River gorilla.
It maintained that addressing deforestation in Africa requires a comprehensive approach that includes sustainable land management, stronger law enforcement, adopting renewable energy alternatives, and active community participation.