Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation in Nigeria (PDF)

EXECUTIVE SHORT-TERM COURSES IN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS TRACK B: PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATE IN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS MODULE 1 DAY 7 SESSION 3 NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN NIGERIA Dr. Sherif Arif, Ph.D. Ahmed C. Abdullahi, Ph.D. Senior Environmental Consultan...

EXECUTIVE SHORT-TERM COURSES IN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS TRACK B: PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATE IN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS MODULE 1 DAY 7 SESSION 3 NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN NIGERIA Dr. Sherif Arif, Ph.D. Ahmed C. Abdullahi, Ph.D. Senior Environmental Consultant Environmental Consultant The Environment Global Practice of The Environment Global Practice of the West and Central Africa - SAWE4 the West and Central Africa - SAWE4 March 2022 March 2022 Copyright © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the National Universities Commission of Nigeria and the World Bank, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Abuja-Nigeria, Attention: Coordinator, Special Projects, and to the World Bank, Attention: Dr. Maged Hamed, Lead Environmental Specialist. Objectives and Learning Outcomes  Objectives  To understand the natural resources endowment in Nigeria and their geographical distribution  To understand the links between natural resources, poverty, and environmental degradation  Learning outcomes  Participants conversant with the types, spread and uses of Natural Resources in Nigeria  Participants aware of the concept of Biodiversity, policies, threats and conservation efforts in the country Course Content  Introduction  Statistics on Natural Resources  Ecological regions in Nigeria  Species in Nigeria  Water and Forestry Resources  Agricultural Resources in Nigeria  Mineral Resources in Nigeria  Oil Resources In Nigeria  Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss  Government Institutions related to Biodiversity and Natural Resources  Vision and Goals  Introduction-Review of Basic Terms and Concepts  Resources: Are physical materials constituting part of the Earth that people need and value  Natural Resources: Natural substances used by humans. Examples include: sunlight, Land, Water, Air, Soil, Forests, Fisheries, Minerals, Oil etc.  Renewable Natural Resources (Flow Resources): Not permanently expandable or can be replenished by nature in human time scale. No link between current use and future availability. Examples include: Wind, Sunlight, Water etc.  Non-renewable Natural Resources (Stock Resources): Permanently expandable. Level of current use does affect future availability. Examples include: Coal, Crude oil, Minerals etc.  Biome: Large environment generally characterized by various abiotic factors (e.g. temperature, amounts of precipitation, pH, light intensity, and so on) and biotic factors.  Biodiversity: Refers to the number, variety and variability of all living organisms in terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are parts. It has two dimensions: 1.the number of biological organisms 2.their variability Introduction- Natural Resources Endowment in Nigeria  Nigeria has a land mass of 923,770km2 and is bordered to the north by Niger and Chad Republics, East by Cameroon and southern most part by Atlantic Ocean. Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa with about 180 million persons. According to Idu, Nigeria is one of the largest populated country in the world, and about ¼ of total Sub-Sahara African population. Nigeria is blessed with arable land for agricultural purposes, crude oil and natural gas deposits, and other minerals resources such as tin, iron ore, coal, lead, zinc, limestone, niobium etc. In addition, Nigeria has several water bodies which are distributed as freshwater (river, creek, creek lets, ponds, lakes and streams), estuarine (fresh and saltwater interphase) and marine/salt water. The soil of the region varies according to types viz: clay, silts and sand. The soil is a major direct recipient of human activities including food processing such as cassava processing, oil palm processing; wastes from different settings including municipal wastes.  The aquatic ecosystem is also habitats to several biological species including fisheries (viz: both fin and shelled fish), some aquatic mammals, reptiles etc. Furthermore, in most static freshwater resources especially in Bayelsa state, aquatic insects, some species of snails, freshwater shrimps, snakes and fishes like catfish; algae, water lilies, water hyacinths and lettuce are frequently found in such habitats. While in flowing water bodies such as rivers, several species of fishes and macrophytes are found in the freshwater system. Animals including sharks, whales, dolphins are some diversity found in the marine ecosystems. Citation: Izah SC. Ecosystem of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria: Potentials and Threats. Biodiversity Int J. 2018;2(4):338-345. DOI: 10.15406/bij.2018.02.00084 Statistics on Nigeria in 2020  Population 206.14million  Surface Area ( thousand) 923.8 Km2  Forest Area 216.2 Km2  Terrestrial and marine protected areas 11.6% of total area  Poverty head count ratio at national poverty lines 40.1  GDP US$ 432.29 Billion  Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing added value 24% of GDP  Industry 28% of GDP  CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) 0.67 https://databank.worldbank.org/views/reports/reportwidget.aspx?Report_Name=CountryProfile&Id=b450fd57&tbar=y &dd=y&inf=n&zm=n&country=NGA Key Agricultural Statistics in Nigeria ̴ 22% 36% N40bn The share of agricultural The agricultural sector remains Only about N40 billion was contribution to GDP as the largest employer in Nigeria, earmarked by the government at Q1 2020 stood at employing more than 36% of the for agricultural research and approximately 22%. labour force development (R&D) in 2019 >80% 0.27 hp/hectare 1.8% More than 80% of Nigeria’s Nigeria’s tractor density is put at Agriculture budget represents farmers are smallholder 0.27 hp/ hectare which is far 1.8% (or N183 billion) of the farmers (SHFs). These below the FAO’s total 2020 budget size. This numbers accounts for 90% of recommended tractor density of 1.5 hp/ significantly falls short of the Nigeria’s hectare. 10% specified in the agricultural produce Maputo Declaration. N689.7bn N3.35trn N22.8trn Nigeria’s agricultural trade In four years (2016–2019), Nigeria’s Nigerians spent about N22.8 deficit widened by N689.7 cumulative agricultural imports stood at trillion on food items in 2019, billion in 2019 compared to N3.35 trillion, four times higher than representing more than half N549.3 billion in 2018. the agricultural export of N803 billion (56.7%) of the total household within the same period. expenditure of N40.2 trillion Taiwo Oyaniran : https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/afcfta-agribusiness-current-state-nigeria-agriculture-sector.pdf Map of Nigeria Ecological Regions of Nigeria Ecological Regions of Nigeria Biome Bight Coastal Nilo-Sudan Freshwater Cameroonian Highlands forests Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests Central African mangroves Mangroves Cross-Niger transition forests Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests Guinean forest-savanna mosaic Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands Gulf of Guinea Central Marine Jos Plateau forest-grassland mosaic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands Lake Chad Catchment Nilo-Sudan Freshwater Lake Chad flooded savanna Flooded Grasslands and Savannas Lower Niger-Benue Nilo-Sudan Freshwater Mandara Plateau mosaic Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands Niger Delta Nilo-Sudan Freshwater Niger Delta swamp forests Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests Niger lowland forests Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests Northern West Coastal Equatorial West Coast Equatorial Freshwater Sahelian Acacia savanna Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands Western Sudanian savanna Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands Map of Ecological Zones in Nigeria Species in Nigeria  Species statistics showed that Nigeria has an endemic flora of 91 species belonging to 44 families with Rubiaceae accounting for the highest numbers. A list of faunal species was also outlined.  According to the IUCN Red list 2013, Nigeria has a total of 309 threatened species in the following taxonomic categories: Mammals (26), Birds (19), Reptiles (8), Amphibians (13), Fishes (60), Molluscs (1), other Invertebrates (14) and Plants (168) (Sedghi, 2013).  The categories of biodiversity related sites in Nigeria include: 7 National Parks of Old Oyo, Cross River, Gashaka-Gumti, Okomu, Chad Basin, Kainji Lake, and Kamuku;  27 Important Bird Areas including all National Parks and 60% the Ramsar sites; 11 Ramsar Sites; 2 World Heritage Sites of Sukur Kingdom and Osun Osogbo Grove; 994 Forest Reserves; 32 Game Reserves; 1 Biosphere Reserve; and many Sacred groves at varied level of protection.  Out of the wildlife diversity of Nigeria, about 0.14% and 0.22% is threatened and endangered, respectively. In attempts to protect biodiversity, Nigeria established several protected area including 8 national Parks, 445 forest reserves, 12 strict nature reserves and 28 game reserves. Ref: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2020 Nigeria Vegetation Zones and sites for biodiversity Ref: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2020 State of Agricultural Sector  Agriculture is broadly divided into four sectors in Nigeria–crop production, fishing, livestock and forestry.  Crop production remains the largest segment and it accounts for about 87.6% of the sector’s total output. This is followed by  Livestock, fishing and forestry at 8.1%, 3.2% and 1.1% respectively.  Agriculture remains the largest sector in Nigeria contributing an average of 24% to the nation’s GDP over the past seven years (2013 – 2019).  In addition, the sector employs more than 36% of the country’s labor force, a feat which ranks the sector as the largest employer of labor in the country  70.8 million hectares of the total land area of 193 million hectares have potentials for crop and livestock production in diverse agro-ecologies Approximately 80% of the rural population is engaged in agriculture, and account for about 95% of production, mostly as a major economic activity. The farms are mainly small in size (0.1 to 6 ha) and farming is largely under rain-fed conditions Taiwo Oyaniran: https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/afcfta-agribusiness-current-state-nigeria-agriculture- sector.pdf Agricultural resources  Oil Palm the major oil palm producing states include Enugu, Imo, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, Oyo, Abia, Edo and Ogun State.  Cocoa: Nigeria is the 4th largest global producer of cocoa, , Nigeria is the 3rd largest African exporter, after Ivory Coast and Ghana:The states that produce are namely; Edo, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, and Delta.  Cotton: Cotton has been a major cash crop in Africa, mainly in Nigeria, the areas cotton is grown in Nigeria is concentrated in the Savannah belts of the country which is the Northern & Southwestern Nigeria such as Kano, Kaduna, Oyo, Ondo, Kwara, Katsina, Jigawa, Ogun, Kebbi, Sokoto & Zamfara state.  Groundnut: Groundnut is mainly grown in the northern part of Nigeria, West Africa in large quantities compared to other regions of the country. The below-listed states account for about 83-88% of the production, and they are; Kano, Kaduna, Taraba, Bauchi, Bornu, and Adamawa https://www.finelib.com/about/nigeria-cash-crops/7 and https://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a- glance/en/ Agricultural Resources (ctd..)  Rice Nigeria Nigeria’s rice production rose from 3.7 million metric tons in 2017 to 4.0 million metric tons in 2018. Inspite of this, only 57percent of the 6.7 million metric tons of rice consumed in Nigeria annually is locally produced leading to a deficit of about 3 million metric tons, which is either imported or smuggled into the country illegally. To stimulate local production, the Government banned importation of rice in 2019. Prior to that the country was the highest importer of rice globally and the largest producer in West Africa. The main rice producing states in Nigeria are: Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Benue, Taraba and Borno, other states includes Enugu and Cross River. According to 2012 FAOSTAT data, it is 3rd highest global food production, after sugarcane and maize.  Timber: Nigeria was once a one-time largest exporter of timber in West Africa, and the major areas of production located in the rain forest areas such as; Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, and Delta State.  Tomatoes: Nigeria is ranked the second largest producer of tomatoes and globally, is the 13th largest producer, its total production annually has been estimated to be about a 1.701 million tons.  Tobacco: is found in South-West Nigeria, tobacco is the most widely cultivated cash crop, and the states include; Osun, Oyo, Kwara and Sokoto state. https://www.finelib.com/about/nigeria-cash-crops/7 and https://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a- glance/en/ State of the Agricultural Sector The share of agriculture in Nigeria’s total export earnings remains small compared to crude oil exports. For instance in 2019, agriculture accounted for less than 2% of total exports relative to crude oil (76.5%). Nigeria’s major agricultural imports include wheat, sugar, fish and milk, while the main agricultural exports include sesame seeds, cashew nuts, cocoa beans, ginger, frozen shrimp and cotton. Sesame, cashew nuts and cocoa account for more than half of the nation’s agricultural exports. While wheat dominates agricultural imports. Agricultural export declined by about 11% from N302.2 billion in 2018 to N269.8 billion in 2019. Nigeria remains a net food importer Nigeria’s agricultural imports rose by 12.7% from N851.6 billion to N959.5 billion during the same period, the highest value ever recorded in the country. Taiwo Oyaniran : https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/afcfta-agribusiness-current-state-nigeria-agriculture-sector.pdf Water Resources  Nigeria is so rich in water resources that many of its 36 states are named after rivers. In addition to surface water found in nearly every part of the country, there’s also plenty stored in the ground. The country has 215 cubic kilometres a year of available surface water  Despite the huge water resources, there have been lingering problems of water management, in relation to quality, quantity and availability as well as, uses determination. Read More : https://ejesgist.com/nigeria-water-resources-and- management-challenges-and-prospect.html  The provision of water and sanitation infrastructure is still a challenge, especially in rural areas. In accordance with UNDP Development report, 20% of the population have access to safely managed drinking water , and 27% of the population have access to safely managed sanitation services This is below the average for the Low-Income Countries group. These low levels of service provision constitute a major health risk to population, especially to the most vulnerable Ref: Margulis et al, Rapid country Environmental Analysis, 2006 and UNNDP development report of 2020, https://ejesgist.com/nigeria-water-resources-and-management-challenges-and-prospect.html Forestry Resources  Forests constitute 7.2% of the total land area in accordance with UNDP Development Report. Deforestation rate ranging between 0.72 and 2.38percent, according to FAO 2018 report.  Nigeria is a tropical nation encompassing a diverse variety of habitats and ecosystems. There are seven major cover types, ranging from savannas in the North, to rainforests, swamp forests and mangrove forests in the South. Savanna forests, not very valuable for timber, are largely exploited for wood fuel or cleared to make room for agriculture. Southern forests are characterized by a wide variety of plant species that provide timber, non-timber forest products (such as fuel wood from mangroves), hydrological services and biodiversity support services.  Agricultural expansion, heavy reliance on firewood and charcoal for energy, unsustainable timber extraction, urbanization, grazing, bush fires, infrastructure development are among the factors behind this trend. Ref: https://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a-glance/en/ Animal Production  Nigeria is the largest fish consumer in Africa and among the largest fish consumers in the world with about 3.2 million metric tons of fish consumed annually.  Its fisheries and aquaculture are among the fastest growing subsectors in the country.  With a coastline of 853km and over 14 million hectares of inland waters, total fish production per year is close to 1 million metric tons (313,231 metric tons from aquaculture and 759,828 metric tons from fisheries).  Fishing is a vital livelihood for the poor as well as an important protein source at the household level in Nigeria. The aquaculture sub-sector is considered a very viable alternative to meeting the nation's need for self-sufficiency in fish production and nutritional needs. Ref: https://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a-glance/en/ Animal Husbandry  Animal production has remained underexploited. Livestock mostly reared by farm families in Nigeria are the small ruminants like goats (76 million), sheep (43.4million), and cattle (18.4 million).  The ecology in the northern part of the country makes it famous for livestock keeping. In addition to small and large ruminants, poultry population stands at 180 million poultry  Here too domestic demand outweighs production despite several interventions by development partners to improve production and safeguard against diseases including transboundary animal disease https://www.fao.org/nigeria/fao-in-nigeria/nigeria-at-a-glance/en/ Mineral Resources  Nigeria has the richest crude oil deposits in Africa and the 4th in the World; it is the 6th largest producer of crude oil and the 5th largest supplier of crude. Nigeria is the larg.t producer of sweet oil in OPEC, the Nigerian grade of crude oil is described as light because of its relatively low density, and sweet because of its low sulphur content otherwise known as Bonny Light crude oil (BLCO).  These oil deposits are mainly found in the Niger Delta of Nigeria which comprises the south-south region and some parts of the south-east and few states in the south-west of the country which includes Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Imo, Anambra and Ondo State.  Coal: Enugu, the capital city of Anambra State is known as the “the coal city” because of its vast coal deposits, other states include; Benue, Kogi, Delta, Kwara, Plateau, Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Edo, Ondo, Adamawa, and Imo. https://www.finelib.com/about/nigeria-natural-resources/crude-oil-mineral-resources-in-nigeria-and-the- states-deposits/81 Mineral Resources (ctd..)  Iron Ore :with up to 3 billion tons in Itakpe, Kogi State has the purest iron Ore and in other stats. Iron ore deposits found in abundance in Nigeria, West Africa with up to 3 billion tonnes are in Nigerian states like Kaduna, Enugu, Niger, Kwara, Bauchi, and Zamfara.  Copper: Copper occurrence and distribution are mainly in the Northern Part of the country such as Nasarawa, Plateau, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe State, Kano State, and also in the south in places like Abia.  Gold: Gold is found in Iperindo in Osun State and other areas near Maru, Tsohon Birnin Gwari-Kwaga, Gurmana, Anka, Malele, Bin Yauri, and Okolom-Dogondaji.  Lead: Listed below are some of the states in Nigeria that are rich in lead deposits, they are Akwa Ibom, Imo, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Enugu, Niger, Ebonyi, FCT, Plateau, Cross River, Taraba, and Zamfara. https://www.finelib.com/about/nigeria-natural-resources/crude-oil-mineral-resources-in-nigeria-and-the- states-deposits/81 Mineral Resources (ctd..)  Silver: Silver is found in Taraba and Kano States  Clay: Clay is deposited in most of the states in larger quantities, the states include; Abuja (FCT) Akwa Ibom, Anambra State, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, and Sokoto.  Tin: Tin is one of the common resources in Nigeria, and found in Jos and Bauchi  Zinc: Nigeria is one of the countries in West Africa with large deposits of Zinc. It is found in Anambra, Ebonyi, Plateau, Cross Rivers, Zamfara, Abuja (FCT), Enugu, Imo, Kano, Niger, and Taraba. Limestone  Limestone: Limestone deposits in Nigeria are majorly found in Cross River and Ebonyi states but can still be found in a commercial deposits in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, and Sokoto, making Nigeria the most richly deposited West African country when it comes to Limestone. Salt is deposited in Ebonyi State known as the salt of the Nation, it is also found in Akwa, Ibom, Katsina, Benue  Uranium: The Nigerian states with Uranium deposits include Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi, and Kano states. https://www.finelib.com/about/nigeria-natural-resources/crude-oil-mineral-resources-in-nigeria-and-the-states- deposits/81 Oil Resources  Nigeria is the eleventh (11th) largest oil producer worldwide and the ninth (9th) largest oil exporter in the World in terms of value. Between October and December 2020, the oil industry contributed to 5.9 percent to the total real GDP, a decrease of roughly three percentage points compared to the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2021, the contribution of the oil sector to the country's GDP reached 7.42 percent. The Average daily oil production is 1.61 million barrel  In 2019, over 80 percent of Nigeria's export value was generated by the mineral fuels, oils, and distillation products' sector, accounting for approximately 47 billion U.S. dollars. However, due to the lower demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic, oil production and export dropped. Data for 2020 shows, indeed, a considerable decrease in the export value derived from oil. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165865/contribution-of-oil-sector-to-gdp-in-nigeria/ Agriculture Challenges  Nigeria’s agricultural sector faces many challenges which impact on its productivity. These include; poor land tenure system, low level of irrigation farming, climate change and land degradation. Others are low technology, high production cost and poor distribution of inputs, limited financing, high post-harvest losses and poor access to markets.  These challenges have stifled agricultural productivity affecting the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP as well as increased food imports due to population rise hence declining levels of food sufficiency. For instance, between 2016 and 2019 Nigeria’s cumulative agricultural imports stood at Naira N3.35 trillion (US$ 8 billion, four times higher than the agricultural export of N803 billion ( US$ 1.9 billion) within the same period.  As food production could not keep pace with its increasing population, Nigeria began to import food. It also lost its status as a net exporter of such cash crops as cocoa, palm oil, and groundnuts.  Nigeria remains a net food importer, the agricultural trade deficit has widened with imports exceeding exports by N689.7 billion (US$ 1.7 billion) in 2019 https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Nigeria-AGRICULTURE.html#ixzz7AnpOrHBc and Taiwo Oyaniran : https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/afcfta-agribusiness-current-state-nigeria-agriculture-sector.pdf Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss  Biodiversity in Nigeria is under enormous pressure  Deforestation rate in Nigeria is about 3.5% per year with a change of -61.8% , translating to a loss of 350,000-400,000 ha of forest land per year (Ladipo, 2010). Recent studies show the remainder forests occupy 923,767 km2 or about 10 million ha. This is about 10% of Nigeria's forest land area. Deforestation and environment degradation is estimated to cost US$ 6 billion a yar  Nigeria faces severe problem of soil erosion – both sheet and gully erosion – due to both natural and human causes. Over 6000km2 of land are affected by erosion and about 3400km2 are highly exposed. Erosion has a devastating effect on many peoples’ lives and destroys essential infrastructure for economic development and poverty alleviation. Gully erosion contributes to environmental problems and cause damage estimated at over $100 million annually in most parts of Nigeria  The major cause of biodiversity loss are:  High Population growth rate :Biodiversity supports the growing populations in rural and urban areas, but the pressure is becoming increasingly higher due to over-exploitation occasioned by high demand.  Poverty: According to the Human Development Index Report 46.4% of the population is poor and remains high National Biodiversity Action Plan 2015 andhttp://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/NGA Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss (ctd..)  Policy and Legislation constraints the existing laws relating to biodiversity are obsolete, with the exception of the new laws establishing the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), that on Climate Change and possibly the Grazing Commission. In most States of Nigeria, the Biodiversity related legislations such as the wildlife and forestry laws are obsolete, non-implementable and are totally ignored (or not regarded) by the customary, sharia and other courts. Poor legislative enforcement has been and still is a glaring setback for biodiversity conservation  Poor Land Use Planning. Poor land use planning and unclear tenure rights have been identified as a major catalyst to biodiversity degradation and loss in Nigeria. Poor Land Use Planning has not only affected biodiversity but has also resulted in conflicts which has claimed human lives and further impoverished the Nigerian rural community. Two key land tenure and land use issues that require future consideration include how to mediate/resolve problems that arise between tenure systems; and how, within the various tenure systems, to support policy/institutional frameworks that are capable of promoting the sustainable use of natural resources. Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss  Governance and Transparency: Extension services on forestry and biodiversity related matters have collapsed, thereby leaving the governance of natural resources in an open loop. Corruption is another major factor to blame for creating a threatened future for Nigeria’s Biodiversity. Politicians have aided the de- reservation of many biodiversity rich areas for non-sustainable reasons, thereby jeopardizing all past efforts at saving and protecting biodiversity  Socio-cultural Characteristics, Food and Trade Connections Some cultural practices that exist in Nigeria encourage the use of specific species for festivals and they often limit the population of species occurring in a narrow ecological range. Many Nigerians, especially in the southern parts view the consumption of wild resources as normal and in some cases a delicacy. The ‘juju’ market or traditional medicine market is also responsible for a high percentage of biodiversity in-take from the wild in Nigeria. National Biodiversity Action Plan 2015 Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss (ctd)  Effect of Climate Change. The National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action for Climate Change in Nigeria (NASPACCN 2011) revealed that climate change is already having significant impacts on Nigeria. According to the report, recent estimates suggest that in the absence of adaptation, climate change could result in the loss of between 2% and 11% of Nigeria’s GDP by 2020, rising to between 6%-30% by the year 2050. Carbon emission ,production per capita is 0.7 tons in 2018 ( UNDP Development report )  Unsustainable Harvesting Resources: About 70% of Nigerian households mainly in rural and semi-urban areas depend largely on fuel wood consumption for their domestic and to a large extent commercial energy needs. government has failed to put in place effective measures to curb illegal logging and only 6% of the land area is protected. Timber concessions have been granted in some of Nigeria's forest areas and oil-palm plantations have replaced forest areas National Biodiversity Action Plan 2015 Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss (ctd..)  Extractive Industries and their Activities Virtually all aspects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation have deleterious effects on the ecosystem and local biodiversity., Oil exploration in the Niger Delta and in coastal areas, gas emissions and other pollutants from the petroleum industry have therefore caused considerable environmental pollution and forest degradation, thus attrition of the biodiversity of Nigeria  Uncontrolled, Illegal and Harmful Mining Practices. The emphasis on mining also changed from big foreign companies, to small local companies and artisan miners who provided raw materials for the local market. The local mining and processing of these raw materials have had major socio-economic, infrastructural development of these areas, associated with major negative physical, biological, hydrological as well as environmental impacts.  Pollution :The production and use of toxic chemicals pose a major and relatively new threat to humankind and the environment. Emissions from vehicles, industrial processes, liquid and solid waste, pesticides and chemical fertilizers for agricultural and domestic purposes release toxic substances into the air, soil or water thereby affecting aquatic and other organisms in the environment. Nigeria National Biodiverity Action Plan , 2015 Causes and Consequences of Biodiversity Loss (ctd..)  Gas Flaring; Due to the lack of gas utilization infrastructure, Nigeria flares approximately 75% of the gas it produces and re-injects only about 12% for enhanced oil recovery. And about that 12 million tons of methane gas is released into the atmosphere in Rivers and Delta States.  Invasive species: Invasive species inhibits ecological processes and reduces the value of the environment, thereby limiting livelihood options available to people living and dependent on such ecosystems. They are also termed as plant invaders, as alien plants that invade and replace native vegetation. Some of the common invasive species in Nigeria are Nypa palm (Nypa fruticans), Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and Typha grass (Typha latifolia).  Overgrazing: Overgrazing occurs when plant material is grazed faster than it can naturally regenerate, often leading to the permanent loss of plant cover. reports losing 867, 000 Ha of range land and crop land to desertification each year (EPI, 2011). Nigeria National Biodiverity Action Plan , 2015 Links between Natural Resources and Poverty  The links between environment/NR and poverty are not always straightforward. In general, the poorest populations are the most dependent on NR, and thus are the most vulnerable to poor access and degradation. This is particularly true for rural populations, which is the case of the majority of the poor in Nigeria.  The links between poverty and environment take three principal forms: (i) people’s health vulnerable to environmental factors such as water and vector- borne diseases, indoor and urban air pollution, and toxic substances; (ii) people’s livelihoods dependent on access to good quality natural resources – land, water, forests, biodiversity; and (iii) people’s vulnerability to environmental risks – natural disasters, weather fluctuations and climate change. Government Institutions related to Biodiversity and Natural Resources  Federal Ministry of Environment advises Federal Government on all matters pertaining to the conservation utilization and regeneration of forests resources. It has overall responsibility for environmental management in the country, protection and management of biodiversity/resources  National Environmental Standards Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to effectively enforce all environmental laws in the country. Other Agencies are National Parks Service, National Oil Spill and Detection Agency, under the Federal Ministry of Environment.  Forestry Department: Constitution and protection of forest lands through enforcement of relevant legislation, develop regeneration programmes and harvesting systems for biological resources.  State Ministries of Environment. The state Ministries of Environment also play the role of protecting the environment and Conserving Biodiversity at the state level. Re”; National Biodiversty Action Plan 2016-2020 Government Institutions related to Biodiversity and Natural Resources (ctd..)  Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria: has the responsibility of improving genetic value of species of economic potentials, improvement of methods of cultivating, harvesting and processing of forest products  Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria: has the responsibility of improving genetic value of species of economic potentials, improvement of methods of cultivating, harvesting and processing of forest products  Ministry of Agriculture: Supports biodiversity conservation in grazing reserves through control of hunting and harvesting of plants, encourage and promote the consolidation of scattered and fragmented farm holdings Ref: National Biodiversty Action Plan 2016-2020 Government Institutions related to Biodiversity and Natural Resources (ctd)  Ministry of Water Resources: development of surface and underground water for multipurpose uses and management of water sheds.  Universities/Technical Schools: conducts research on the control and management of species under in situ and ex situ conservation methods and train manpower for the execution of conservation programs of government.  Non-Governmental Organizations: support biodiversity conservation through awareness campaigns, interpretive education and research, lobby governments to support environmental and biodiversity conservation programs, direct participation in preparation and implementation of management plans, report writing and in seeking for international funds to support biodiversity conservation. Government Institutions related to Biodiversity and Natural Resources (ctd)  Agriculture based Research Institutions such as:  Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN): in-situ conservation of species of rubber, ex situ seed gene bank, live field gene bank and in-vitro for rubber.  National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) Badagi: conservation of ex-situ gene bank and live field gene bank for all cereals.  National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Ibadan: conservation of seed field gene bank in vitro for forest trees, fruit trees, vegetable and ornamentals Government Efforts  The Government has implemented several initiatives and programs to address the situation including the Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP), Nigeria–Africa Trade and Investment Promotion Program, Presidential Economic Diversification Initiative, Economic and Export Promotion Incentives and the Zero Reject Initiative, Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+); Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP); Action Against Desertification (AAD) Program, among others.  All these efforts aim to increase agricultural productivity in order to provide sufficient quantities of food to meet domestic demand as well as an abundance of commodity crops for export in the international market. Besides, they aim at reversing forest loss and degradation; promoting sustainable management of natural resources; rehabilitation of degraded lands and reducing erosion and climate vulnerability. National Regulations on Biodiversity  National Environmental (Wetlands, Riverbanks and Lake Shores) Regulations, S. I. No. 26, 2009.  National Environmental (Watershed, Mountainous, Hilly and Catchments Areas) Regulations, S. I. No. 27, 2009..  National Environmental (Soil Erosion and Flood Control) Regulations, S. I. No. 12, 2011.  National Environmental (Desertification Control and Drought Mitigation) Regulations, S. I. No. 13, 2011.  National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade) Regulations, S. I. No. 16, 2011.  National Environmental (Coastal and Marine Area Protection) Regulations, S. I. No 18, 2011  National Environmental (Surface and Groundwater Quality Control) Regulations, S. I. No. 22, 2011  National Environmental (Control of Alien and Invasive Species) Regulations, S. I. No 32, 2013 https://www.nesrea.gov.ng The Government Policies and Programs ▪ The Economic and ▪ The Nigerian African Export Promotion The Agricultural Promotion Trade and Investment Initiative The The Presidential The Zero Reject policy aims to improve Promotion Program Government has Economic Initiative was launched access to international NATIPP is a program placed trade barriers Diversification Initiative to enhance the markets by: jointly launched by (PEDI) aims to enhance on select Agric. goods acceptability of ▪ Enhancing access to the African Export- trade capacity in to protect local Nigerian products market information Import Agriculture by producers and internationally through a National Bank, Nigerian Export- facilitating new stimulate growth of Import Bank and the investments in the It is aimed at the industry Agricultural Information System Nigerian Export Agricultural and Agro- improving ▪ In addition, several Promotion Council allied industries, Agricultural exports ▪ Creating specialised economic incentives reducing regulatory through the institution export market ▪ The aim of NATIPP is are offered to Agric. bottlenecks and of global quality support teams to to facilitate the Investors in Nigeria enabling access to standards and product enhance export expansion of Nigeria’s including income tax credit standardization capacity trade and investment relief, zero import into Africa duty on equipment, VAT exemptions, etc Taiwo Oyaniran : https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/assets/pdf/afcfta-agribusiness-current-state-nigeria-agriculture-sector Nigeria’s long-term Vision for Biodiversity Management  A Nigeria with healthy living environment where people live in harmony with nature and sustain the gains and benefits of biodiversity, integrating biodiversity into National program aimed at reducing poverty and developing a secure future in line with the principle of ecological sustainability and social equity.’ The major focus of this vision is the consideration of genetic materials as a strategic but fragile resource to be conserved, sustainably utilized and perhaps more importantly to be deployed as natural capital for socio -economic development of Nigeria. Ref: National Biodiversity Action Plan ( 2016-2020) Vision (ctd)  A key focus of this vision therefore is the consideration of genetic materials as a strategic but fragile resource to be conserved, sustainably utilized and perhaps more importantly to be deployed as natural capital for socio -economic development of Nigeria.  It will explore the policy elements necessary for the transformation of biological diversity to biological resources, as an asset base  It attempts to proffer methods to capture an equitable share of benefits arising from access to, and the use of Nigeria’s genetic and biochemical resources for the Nigerian economy and communities.  It has deliberately involved the private sector and the civil society as partners in development in harnessing Nigeria’s biological resources to create wealth, generate employment and contribute to the general economic development of the country.  Regarding environmental resources as an asset raises the possibility that it can be shared or transferred across generations and as a resource it can be drawn upon, built upon, traded and developed. Ref: National Biodiversity Action Plan ( 2016-2020) National Goals  National Goal 1: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity into national planning and societal values  The rate of decline in biodiversity, including species, habitats and ecosystems will be slowed down and Nigeria will design an integrated approach to land use planning in support of the rehabilitation of critical ecosystems such as mangroves, grasslands, montane vegetation, woodlands, tropical rainforests, watersheds, wetlands, rivers and lakes  National Goal 2: Reduce the direct pressures on Nigeria’s biodiversity resources and promote sustainable use.  Concerted effort will be made to conserve important ecosystems, habitats and species across the entire landscape of Nigeria. Adequate representation of all ecosystems will be made a national priority in setting up conservation areas National Goals (ctd..)  National Goal 3: Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity  Concerted effort will be made to conserve important ecosystems, habitats and species across the entire landscape of Nigeria. Adequate representation of all ecosystems will be made a national priority in setting up conservation areas  National Goal 4: Ensure fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services to all  Policies on sharing of benefits derived from the use of Nigeria’s biodiversity resources are to be formulated and implemented, at the same time balancing the twin goals of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use  Promote participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building as an integral part of implementation of biodiversity management  Nigeria will make stakeholders participation in planning and designing of biodiversity management processes and actions a major priority Thank you for your Patience and Attention Any Questions