Ibadan, April 2, 2022 – Prof. Adeshola Adepoju, the Director-General of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), says 90 per cent of the Nigeria’s land has been ideforested.
Adepoju told journalists in Ibadan that it was regrettable that the 10 per cent forestation in Nigeria fell short of the recommendation of the United Nations.
He said that according to the United Nations, 30 per cent of every country’s land should be forested.
Adepoju said 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 current administration on 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.
“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.” (GBN)
