By Femi Akinola
The Nigerian Youth Biodiversity Network, a national chapter of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) will, on Wednesday, will stage a workshop targeted at creating awareness on environmental and biodiversity conservation among Nigerians.
The GYBN, in conjunction with Sustainable Environment Food And Agriculture Initiative (SEFAAI), a non-governmental organisation, collaborate towards for the awareness creation workshop particularly for the Nigerian youths, towards shaping their understanding and resilience on biodiversity conservation and preservation.
The workshop with the theme: Knowledge and And Awareness To Guide The Past 2020 GBF Action Plans In Nigeria, was scheduled to take place at the International Press Centre, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos.
Expected at the one day workshop are stakeholders in defence of environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation in the country.
Speaking at weekend with the NatureNews on the workshop, the founder and national coordinator GYBN, Nigeria Chapter, Olusegun Ogundele, explained that the sub-theme of the workshop titled: Awareness and Capacity Building for Protection of Environment Defenders, was designed to bring together biodiversity conservation stakeholders such as government representatives at the federal and state level, non-governmental organisations, the media and others.
According to him, the goal is to ensure that available data, information and knowledge of the past 2020 GBF are available to the decision makers and the public through these stakeholders.
Going further, he said the workshop was equally meant to increase the knowledge capacity needed for the realisation of the past GBF in Nigeria, and to engage the youths and the media communities on biodiversity education and knowledge generation.
His words: ” Education and mass media are crucial for conservation biodiversity, enabling its sustainable and equitable use, and mainstreaming in other policies. We depend on biodiversity in many ways, yet public awareness of its importance is scarce.
”The role of biodiversity in sustaining the ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycles, maintaining health, producing clean water and food, regulating and adapting to climate change and many other social and cultural benefits are not well known.”