The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has been actively promoting bird conservation in Nigeria’s coastal and riverine areas, emphasizing the importance of preserving migratory birds and their habitats throughout the country.
Mr. Uchenna Achunine, the Director of Business Development and Communication at NCF, stated on Monday in Lagos that this initiative aims to create a global outreach and serve as an effective tool for raising awareness about the challenges faced by migratory birds. The campaign also involves engaging students and community residents in participatory conservation activities to commemorate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD).
Under the theme “Water: Sustaining Life,” WMBD was hosted in Lagos, Rivers, and Yobe as an annual event dedicated to increasing awareness about the conservation of migratory birds. Mr. Achunine added that the event highlights the ecological importance of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to protect them.
This year’s WMBD event was held in Totowu community, Egan Igando Alimosho council, Lagos State. Totowu is a small village located on the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States, and transportation to the village is mainly by canoe. Five schools from Igando, namely T&G School, Aima School, St Bernards School, Speed Academy, and St Zita School, benefited from the project.
The initiative involved educating boat riders and traders in the community about the significance of water to birds, the importance of providing water sources for them, constructing bird feeders, protecting water resources, and identifying various bird species using binoculars and bird guides.
Representing NCF’s Species Pillar Lead, Dr. Stella Egbe, Ms. Ibukun Lawal stated, “Water is fundamental to life on our planet, and many migratory birds rely on aquatic ecosystems throughout their life cycles. Wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, marshes, and ponds, both inland and coastal, are crucial for feeding, drinking, nesting, resting, and refueling during their long journeys.”
Unfortunately, these aquatic ecosystems and the migratory birds that depend on them are increasingly threatened worldwide due to human water demands, pollution, and climate change, affecting the availability of clean water and the conservation status of many migratory birds.
In another commemoration of WMBD, a bird-watching activity took place at NCF Finima office, organized by the Finima Nature Park Bird Club.
During the event, a total of 31 bird species were observed and recorded. Additionally, a three-kilometer road walk was organized at the Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands to raise further awareness.
To mark World Environment Day (WED), NCF collaborated with First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB) to provide practical solutions to combat plastic pollution. The initiatives included recycling, upcycling, and beach cleanup activities in Lagos. The program began with the distribution of recycling bins to five selected schools and concluded with a beach cleanup exercise at Okun-Ajah Beach, Okun-Ajah, Lagos.
The beneficiary schools, namely Community Senior High School, Surulere; Itolo Girls Senior Secondary School, Surulere; Lagos
Progressive Senior Secondary School, Surulere; Resettlement Junior Secondary School, Ilaje; and Ikota Primary School, Ikota, actively participated in the program.
In his remark, the NCF Director General, represented by Acting Director of Technical Programme, Adedayo Memudu, emphasized the collective responsibility of addressing the challenge of plastic pollution and adopting simple yet effective approaches to tackle it.
Mr. Omoniyi Iyanda, the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Reporting at FCMB, expressed the bank’s commitment to sponsoring programs that reduce plastic pollution, mitigate climate risks, and raise awareness about innovative recycling and upcycling methods.