……..says Nigeria’s Forest underpins environmental, economic and social wellbeing.
The Honourable Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal has launched Securing Nigeria’s Forest Future Country Package (SNFF) a policy document aimed at managing forests, restoring degraded land, protecting biodiversity, building climate resilience and mobilising investment at scale, emphasizing that Nigeria’s forests underpin our environmental, economic and social wellbeing.
Minister disclosed that securing Nigeria’s Forest Future is not a task for the forestry sector alone, but requires coordinated action across agriculture, finance, budget, planning, water resources, justice, industry, investment, and climate institutions alongside deeper engagement with State Governments and communities.
Balarabe made the statement at the National Launch of Securing Nigeria’s Forest Future (SNFF) Country Package (CP) held recently in Abuja.
Minister said, “we must strengthen the enabling environment for private investment, blended finance, carbon finance and ensure these investments translate into real benefits like livelihoods linked to conservation, commercially viable forest value chains, meaningful participation for women and young people in the green economy, also recognition of forest-dependent communities as partners, not bystanders, in sustainable forest management.”
Balarabe, therefore, urged Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as major environmental stakeholders represented at the event to treat the SNFF as a cross-cutting economic and climate priority, not a forestry-only initiative, adding that the implementation of the policy document requires communities and subnational, development partners, whose participation remains fundamental to results on the ground.
He also acknowledged the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership for supporting development of the Country Package, Conservation International and the Seed Fund for their support to the launch.
He however stated that the partnerships show what is possible when national leadership is matched by international cooperation.
In his goodwill message, the Head of Cooperation, Germany Embassy, Abuja, Dr. Kann Jansen profoundly commended the Federal Ministry of Environment and Department of Forestry for bringing together government, development partners, private sector, civil society, academia and major stakeholders in environment around national agenda.
In his goodwillmessage he noted that forests are fundamental to climate resilience, biodiversity, food security and the livelihoods of millions of people.
He said protecting and restoring them is therefore not only an environmental priority but an essential development priority, adding that the success of the SNFF Country Package would ultimately not be measured by the document itself but by what it delivers on the ground.
He therefore encouraged environmental stakeholders to see the launch not as the conclusion of a process but as the beginning of a new phase of implementation and partnership.
Ibrahim Haruna
Director of Information and Public Relations.
