By Fatima Saka
The Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, has assured of sustainability in Nigeria’s biodiversity and exotic ecosystem for the livelihoods of the teeming citizens as commitment of the Federal Government towards promoting and boosting environmental conservation in the country.
Ikeazor made this known when she received Dr. Adewale Adeleke, ECOWAS Advisor who led a delegation of the West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emission Development Project (WABILED) on a working visit to her office on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the Minister, “the sustenance of the nation’s biodiversity is a core priority of the federal government”.
She added: “The fact is, we have not really paid attention to the issue of conservation in the past. But now, it is an area of focus for us. Our life and livelihood depend on the ecosystem. Hence, we must put a deliberate effort towards boosting biodiversity conservation”.
Ikeazor explained that working with other Ministers of Environment in Africa, Nigeria will ensure that Africa makes a statement among the committee of nations in the forthcoming COP27 slated for Egypt later in the year.
She assured that her Ministry “will support every effort at conservation and wildlife protection as we look forward to COP27, making sure that Africa present a strong voice as we continue to work with other Ministers of Environment from Africa”.
Ikeazor appealed for the support of WABILED in the implementation of Nigeria’s Wildlife Strategy Plan, as well as the signing of the Trans-Boundary Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Cameroun, which she described as key to the nation’s conservation efforts.
Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Adeleke noted that the mission of their WABILED delegation to the Ministry was to appreciate the Federal Government’s role in the conservation and sustainable management of the country’s natural resources.
He solicited Nigeria’s support for the final endorsement of the ‘West Africa Strategy for Combating Wildlife Crime’ by the ECOWAS Ministerial Council and Heads of State Summit.
