Afforestation: Expert urges for improved awareness of tree planting, lists benefits

By Bisola Adeyemo

The overseeing Head of the Department of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment, Rasak Kolawole Adekola, has said that efforts to develop the afforestation in the country require awareness programmes.

While speaking with NatureNews on Saturday, Kolawole said, “Lots of damages have happened to our forests, most especially cutting trees without replacement.

 “This indicated that Nigeria still loses an annual average of 350,000 forests annually.

“The tree planting has so much to contribute to our environment. Not only regulating rainstorm by acting as windbreaks to the prevailing storms, but it also beautifies the environment as well as restoring watersheds.

“Tree crowns and stems intercept and reduce the turbulent speed of wind or rainstorm. Land degradation is also checked on the process.

“The numerous benefits of afforestation include addressing environmental degradation, more especially desertification, deforestation, erosion and flooding as well as reducing the effects of climate change.’

NatureNews gathered from a report that in the late 19th Century, Nigeria had about 65 million hectares of rich tropical primary forests, with abundant flora and fauna. Now in the 21st Century, this area has been reduced to about 4 million hectares.

Another study conducted by Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST) showed that Nigeria lost 5 per cent of its forest annually throughout the 1980s.

While highlighting the challenges of afforestation, Adekola stated that part of the challenges are; indiscriminate agricultural practices, inadequate funding, poverty.

“The land tenure system, climate change, lack of up-to-date data insufficient capacity building,’’ he added.

He, therefore, urged the government to “collaborate with us to plant more trees by 2030.” he added.