FADING FORESTS, ENCROACHING SANDS: A CRITIQUE OF NIGERIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS ON DEFORESTATION

Abstract

Abstract

Forest resources are an important natural asset for any country, including Nigeria. It is a major carbon sink resource and a strategic and sustainable nature-based solution to climate change. It is also a natural ecosystem for most fauna and flora, a source of raw materials for some economic activities. However, the continuous depletion of this critical national resource through deforestation threatens its viability. Currently, anthropogenic-induced deforestation remains a pressing environmental challenge in Nigeria, and this is exacerbated by climate change, exponential population growth and the consequential unsustainable exploitation of forest resources for economic gains and other economic activities. The goal of this paper is to examine the impact of the extant regulatory environment relating to the protection of forest resources in the country. It argues that the legal scrutiny and control of activities that threaten our invaluable forest reserves is of utmost importance. Large-scale illegal logging, destructive mining operations, the relentless expansion of agricultural lands, and uncontrolled infrastructural development all pose serious risks that can lead to devastating deforestation and adverse consequential outcomes. These activities not only strip the land of its verdant beauty but also endanger the delicate balance of the ecosystems, making it imperative to address the impact they have on vital national treasures. It subsequently recommends a multi-stakeholder approach to forest governance and protection as comparatively practised in other countries over the decades beyond the general government-regulatory system in Nigeria.