Minister of Environment, Balarabe A. Lawal has called on the stakeholders to support the Green Initiative Programme on Afforestation, saying that forests are important in mitigating climate change, curbing the extinction of wildlife, and maintaining the ecosystem in the country.

Balarabe asserted this when the Forestry Association of Nigeria led by its President, Dr Afolabi Abiodun paid a courtesy visit to him in his Mabuchin office in Abuja.

To improve the afforestation programme, he asked for the cooperation of stakeholders to tackle desert encroachment by improving tree planting which the Association and Green Initiatives Programme focuses on.

The Environment Minister urged Agricultural Resilience in the Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), and other agencies to safeguard the forest, adding that there is a need to review laws to tackle the illegal logging and banditry in our forests.

“Forestry is very critical in the Environment sector and stakeholders have to make concerted efforts to safeguard the ecosystem and the habitats of the forest, especially the wildlife species,” he said.

Having commended the group for its effort on afforestation, the Minister assured them that they would give all the necessary support to thrive, lamenting that deforestation leads to loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, climate change, and increasing the risk of flooding in the country.

Earlier, the President, Dr. Afolabi Abiodun congratulated the Minister on his appointment, adding that the Ministry has achieved a lot in delivering the mandate and key deliverables in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The Association which was established in 1970 has carried out a lot of advocacy programmes and is very active in afforestation programmes. We assured the Minister that we would continue to collaborate and partner with the ministry on its activities.”