Moves to protect forest flora and fauna take centre stage in Nigeria’s Edo State

…Governor commits to biodiversity, protection of forest reserves

Efforts to protect biodiversity in Nigeria’s forests have gathered steam following the Edo State Government’s resolve to sustain partnerships with investors working to protect forest reserves and sustain the ecosystem.
Govenor Godwin Obaseki, reiterated his commitment to sustaining the unique biological diversity in Edo forests.

The governor said this in commemoration of the International Day of Biological Diversity, marked by the United Nations on May 22, every year.

According to the governor, “We are deeply committed to protecting the flora and fauna in our forests and will continue to galvanise stakeholders, including local communities, farmers, loggers, hunters, plantation owners, non-governmental organisations, as well as local and international conservation groups, to ensure the pristine nature of the forest. We are committed to preserving our ecosystem so that all elements are well aligned to meet our developmental needs.

“As a government, we have undertaken extensive reforms to preserve our forests by engaging with investors in plantation agriculture so that a good cache of our forests is protected and preserved, even as they go about their businesses in a sustainable manner.”

The governor noted that the theme for this year’s commemoration, ‘We Are Part of the Solution’ is apt and demonstrates the approach taken by the state in getting all relevant stakeholders involved in preserving the state’s biodiversity.

According to UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, “As the global community is called to re-examine our relationship to the natural world, one thing is certain: despite all our technological advances, we are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems for our water, food, medicines, clothes, fuel, shelter and energy, just to name a few.

“This year 2021 the theme is “We’re part of the solution”. The slogan was chosen to be a continuation of the momentum generated last year under the over-arching theme, ‘Our solutions are in nature’, which served as a reminder that biodiversity remains the answer to several sustainable development challenges.”