THE Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Ms Amina J. Mohammed has promised to scale up the afforestation strategy devised by the Forest Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) to sustain the planet.
The former minister of environment gave this assurance at a briefing during her visit to the Institute in Ibadan, where she was received by the Director-General and the CEO of FRIN, Professor Adeshola Adepoju, and top members of staff.
Mohammed noted that her visit was in connection with the Minister of Environment’s invitation to the country on how the UN can support President Muhammadu Buhari’s pledge at the COP26 in Glasgow where he promised to increase the forest cover of Nigeria regarding climate action.
She said: “We will look into how we can scale up the afforestation strategy which you (FRIN) started many years ago. We will look into how we can encourage government at all levels and also the private sector so that the forest cover can help us to maintain the planet, and not lose it to massive emissions losses, biodiversity, and pollution.
“I see the afforestation pledge as a very real one. It has to have a lot of research that will make some indigenous trees thrive, and will also produce economic trees that will help livelihoods, particularly for women and young people, so that you can develop and be part of the wider climate action.”
While congratulating the management of FRIN on moving with the Green Bond, she noted that the Minister of Environment will be reviewing the second one that has been issued and then embark on the third one which she hopes will raise the ambition for the afforestation programme for Nigeria.
She, assured of the United Nations’ support to FRIN and also advised on embarking on projects that will attract international partnerships.
During her visit, she was taken on a tour of the institution by the FRIN DG that involved the inspection of some completed and ongoing projects, the development of improved tree species and other developments that had taken place since the mandate she gave during her visit to FRIN some years back as the environment minister.
She also planted a new tree to commemorate her visit.
Mohammed was accompanied by the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr Edward Kallon, and the resident representative of the UNDP, Mohamed Yahya.
The Director-General of FRIN, Professor Adepoju noted that Mohammed was impressed with the level of development in FRIN compared to the state of the situation it was when she last visited the institute as the minister of environment.
He also gave account of the number of structures that have been raised in FRIN between 2016 and 2021 and how the institute has planted trees on about 500 hectares of land in a frame.
He, however, called for support from state governments on FRIN’s afforestation programme.
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