By George George Idowu
An environmental expert, Salamatu Ekpo, has urged the federal government to enforce sanctions against forest crimes and illegalities as part of efforts to safeguard the environment.
Ms. Ekpo, a lecturer at the Department of Environmental Management, Nasarawa State University, emphasized the need for stringent measures during an interview with newsmen on Wednesday.
She pointed out that while there were existing forest programs and policies supported by regulations, the main challenge in Nigeria lay in their implementation.
According to the African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies, Nigeria’s lush forest belts are facing severe challenges, exacerbated by widespread unemployment among youth in both urban and rural areas, leading to a surge in environmental crimes, particularly in South-West Nigeria.
The journal highlighted that syndicates often exploit the country’s high unemployment rates, enticing young people into criminal activities such as illegal logging of valuable woods like iroko, mahogany, and obeche.
Ms. Ekpo stressed the importance of forests as vital natural resources serving various needs of Nigerians, including food, clothing, medicine, charcoal, and firewood. However, she cautioned against their exploitation, which has negative consequences.
In her words: “For us, the forest is one of the natural resources that serve the Nigerian community through the provision of food, clothing, medicine, charcoal and firewood. These provisions have made many depend on and exploit the forest with negative impact.”
She advocated for the government to identify the underlying causes driving forest exploitation and to provide sustainable alternatives to reduce dependency on forests.
Ms. Ekpo called for the implementation of green and affordable alternatives to discourage forest crimes, emphasizing the need for robust protection measures for forests and the creation of alternative income sources for Nigerians to deter crimes against nature.
She said: “There should be sustainable utilization in green affordable alternatives to avoid forest crimes.”
