FG to implement stricter logging control in S/West

Worried by disappearing forest and its negative impact on the environment, the federal government has opted to ensure stricter control of logging particularly in states in the south west geo-political zone of the country.

Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, told the Sunday Tribune at the sideline of the ongoing 72nd Session on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that forest was fast disappearing due to indiscriminate logging with serious implications for the environment.

The minister disclosed that government was engaging with various international partners to deal with the diverse environmental problems in Nigeria among which are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environmental Protection (UNEP).

He said in order to preserve forest in the states, government has decided to ensure that nobody was allowed to sell certain categories of trees particularly rosewood without first obtaining license.

The minister said where license was obtained, the licensee must process or semi process the timber before export.

While noting environment problems varied from one part of the country to the other, Jibril opined that deforestation was a critical issue in states like Ogun, Oyo and Ondo.

According to him, people have taken forests for granted with the wrong impression that it was in abundance.

Jibril said: “You know, because Nigeria is a huge country environmental problems are diverse.

“What is common in the northern part of the country is not the same with what is in the southern part of the country.

“If you look at the southern part, particularly the south west, there is this issue of deforestation.”

The minister added: “People normally take forest for granted. They believe it is there and its plenty. If you talk to old people in the south west and talk to them, what they know as a forest in Ogun, Ondo or Ibadan is not the same as what is happening today. A lot of logging had taken place.

“So, we at the Ministry of Environment have decided to put some of the species particularly the rosewood under closer watch which means you must get a license before you can export it and it has to be processed or semi processed.

“These are issues we need collaboration from international partners and it is from the likes these fora that you can bring it to the forefront for people to understand and we are doing just that.”