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Conservationists raise concerns on biodiversity conflicts, wildlife extinction

By Victor Gbonegun
23 September 2019   |   3:04 am
Conservationists have called on Nigerians to shun activities that could escalate the extinction of wildlife and biodiversity from their ecosystem as well as threaten human existence.

Wildlife

Conservationists have called on Nigerians to shun activities that could escalate the extinction of wildlife and biodiversity from their ecosystem as well as threaten human existence.

The Director-General, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano who made the plea said that wildlife animals and plants are the basis on which human lives depends in terms of food, oxygen, shelter, and medicine hence, there must be good management of these natural resources for posterity.

Aminu-Kano explained that human and wild animal conflicts are getting worse on daily basis because of poor management of the environment saying that it was time for a human to speak for nature because nature can’t speak by itself.

Speaking on the sidelines of its yearly general meeting in Lagos, he stated that in Nigeria, the rate at which human are crunching plants and animals is alarming thus posing a great risk to the continue survival od the ecosystem.

He warned that “Right now there are about 60 elephants roaming around in communities and it is just a matter of time if we are not careful an accident could happen. We are in close proximity to wild animals. There are cocoa farmers, hunters and poachers, illegal loggers and so the disturbances for the elephant was too much as so they left.

He said there was the need for more awareness on the development for people to strike a balance between nature as environmental conservation is a battle for heart and mind, changing attitude and behavior and so a need to engage, youths, religious and traditional institutions.

Aminu-Kano said the world is closer to getting about 1,000,000 of plants and animals species into extinction if cogent actions are not taken to reverse the trend.

“There is a global problem created by humanity on the way we treat nature and the rate at which nature and natural resources are declining.

The President, Board of trustees of the foundation, Chief Phillips Asiodu who also corroborated Aminu-kano, said Nigerians need to bring the issue of illegal wildlife trade to the front burner through advocacy programme which is also vital tool to call attention of government and organizations to actions on climate change, flooding, plastic pollution crisis, mangrove restoration, desertification and restoring Nigeria’s forest to at least 20 per cent by the year 2050.

According to the Chairman National Executive Council of the foundation, Chief Ede Dafinone collaboration and environmental education in schools and clubs are key elements of strategic action plans to overcome environmental challenges in the country.

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