Stakeholders have decried the decline in the population of bees in the country, despite the indispensable roles they play in food security, and as existential threats, ranging from habitat destruction and harmful pesticides to escalating impacts of climate change in the environment.
They made the assertion at the 2025 World Bee Day celebration in Abuja, noting that the United Nations intends to raise awareness on their critical role in sustaining the ecosystem, ensuring food security and combating biodiversity loss.
Abdullahi Suleiman Ango of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Capital Territory Administration, said scientific evidence has shown that bees are essential to human survival, pollinating over 75 per cent of food crops and supporting the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Nigeria.
He argued that beyond their ecological importance, apiculture or beekeeping stands as a vital commercial venture with immense potential, adding that honey, beeswax and other by-products represent significant sources of income and employment, particularly in rural communities.
“Our secretariat has ensured the sustenance of this celebration yearly. This initiative not only empowers our youth and farmers, but also demonstrates our practical commitment to sustainable apiculture and environmental conservation,” Ango added.
He, therefore, maintained, “as we commemorate this important day, efforts will be made to scale up our support to bee farmers by intensifying awareness campaigns targeted at schools, farmers and stakeholders across the FCT.
“Today, we will be distributing assorted seedlings of pollinator friendly trees for planting in our homes and farmlands.”
Our goal ultimately, is to promote pollinator-friendly practices that will safeguard bee populations and consequently, food security.”
Project Coordinator, FCT ACReSAL Project and Forestry Department, Mrs. Caroline Opara, said, “we are gathering here in response to the call by the United Nations to raise public awareness about the importance of bees and to generate ideas for increasing bee populations in the country.
According to Opara, this year’s theme, “Bee Inspired to Nourish Us All,” is apt, as it encourages collective efforts and participation in creating a supportive environment for bees to thrive.
“Bees are often called earth’s tireless engineers and scientific evidence shows that bees pollinate 75 per cent of our food crops, stabilise ecosystems and are essential for human survival.
“Given the growing concern over the rapid decline in bee populations, which poses a significant threat to our ecosystem, this theme is particularly relevant.”
She said the FCT ACReSAL project will associate with bees embody, as the Project’s core vision of sustaining non-timber forest products that preserve biodiversity, while empowering communities to protecting pollinators so as to safeguard forests, combat climate change, and enhance livelihoods.
In a goodwill message, the Conservator General of National Park Service, Ibrahim Goni, noted: “This theme reminds us of an essential truth that the survival and wellbeing of humanity is deeply rooted in the health of ecosystems and the tiny, but mighty species that sustain them, such as bees.
Goni postulated: “As we are celebrating bees today, let us be committed to building a Nigeria where agriculture is pollinator-friendly, forests are protected, and communities are empowered through nature-based livelihoods.
