Environment

CSO calls for nationwide remediation programme to combat desertification

Published

6 years ago

June 18, 2019

Agency Report

The Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet) a Civil Society group has called for a nation-wide remediation programme to combat desertification and drought in the country.

Dr Ibrahim Choji, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the network made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja to commemorate the 2019 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

The 2019 Theme “Let’s Grow the Future Together” focuses on three key issues related to land: drought, human security and climate.

The day, which raises awareness of international efforts to combat desertification, was established 25 years ago, along with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

“Land in Nigeria has long been a silent casualty of war and armed conflicts.

“From the contamination of land and the destruction of forests to the plunder of natural resources and the collapse of management systems: the environmental consequences of militancy in the Niger Delta, terrorism in the North and herdsmen-farmers’ crises across Nigeria are often widespread and devastating.

“A small proportion of Nigerians in conflict-prone areas have the luxury of mobility which is not applicable to the land.”

“Land is static; never mobile hence it is subject to varying degrees of exploitation and despoliation.

“Because land is fixed in quantity, there is ever-increasing competition to control land resources and capitalise on the flows of goods and services from the land.

“This has the potential to cause social and political instability, fuelling poverty, conflict and migration.

“Some of the environmental problems associated with crises-torn areas in Nigeria include habitat degradation, reduced access to water points and other vital resources, species loss, alteration of the natural food chain, and additional pressure on biodiversity.”

Choji said that CSDevNet believed attention must be paid to land if meaningful result was to be achieved as Nigerians depended on it for both their long-term and immediate needs.

“Any developmental strategy including the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP) that does not encompass environmental remediation and land neutrality will not achieve meaningful results.

“To achieve land neutrality in Nigeria, governments across all levels and stakeholders must strive to create a country where the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services: enhance food security remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems.”

According to him, CSDevNet is calling for a nationwide land remediation programme as years of insurgency, terrorism, militancy and pastoralist crises have inadvertently left behind a land filled with relics of war tools such as explosives, poisonous canisters and land mines.

“Through the deployment of weapons with high destructive capacities, both security forces and terrorists have contributed to the degradation of the Nigerian environment.

“Their activities in the Sambisa forest and creeks of the Niger Delta have greatly depleted the country’s forest resources just as some reforestation programmes have been put on hold in areas with astounding threats of desertification.

“These directly affect livelihoods through decreased access to land, and inadequate access to natural resources, displacement and the loss of biodiversity.”

Choji said that a comprehensive nationwide clean-up exercise would go a long way in reclaiming the environment for farming and other land uses.

“By achieving land degradation neutrality, we will have more land available for further sustainable development.

“What becomes more important, then, will be to generate and sustain fundamental and sustainable positive change by keeping the productive land productive.”

NAN

Share on Facebook

Environment

Royal Commonwealth Society Kicks Off Clean Oceans Campaign in Nigeria

Published

3 months ago

July 8, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Commonwealth Games Nigeria, has officially launched the Clean Oceans Plastic Awareness Campaign in Nigeria, aiming to combat the growing threat of plastic pollution across the Commonwealth.

The campaign was flagged off on Wednesday at Jabi Lake, Abuja, with a strong message of environmental responsibility, especially for Nigeria’s youth.

The initiative is designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution, encourage proper waste disposal, and promote environmental stewardship—particularly around the country’s waterways.
Speaking at the launch, the Country Director and CEO of the Royal Commonwealth Society Nigeria, Mr. Blackson Olaseni Bayewumi, emphasized that the campaign is part of a global Commonwealth-wide effort to curb plastic waste and protect ocean ecosystems.

He highlighted the critical role of sports as a tool for engaging young people and driving meaningful change in environmental behavior.

“The Commonwealth accounts for one-third of the world’s ocean waters, and nearly half of its member countries are Small Island Developing States that suffer disproportionately from plastic pollution,” Bayewumi noted.

According to him, the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign aims to prevent at least one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways.

The campaign blends grassroots education with direct community action, urging people to reduce their plastic footprint, embrace alternatives, and promote cleaner oceans.

A major component of the campaign is its integration with the King’s Baton Relay—a hallmark of the build-up to the Commonwealth Games. In a groundbreaking move, the 2025-2026 relay will spotlight sustainability and environmental protection, beginning with its launch by His Majesty The King at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day 2025. The Baton Relay is now on a 500-day journey across all Commonwealth nations and territories ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

In each country, including Nigeria, the Baton Relay will bring together youth, athletes, local communities, and environmental groups for a week of activities—most notably, organized plastic clean-up drives.

The urgency of this campaign is underlined by alarming statistics: the world produces 400 million tonnes of plastic every year, with over 12 million tonnes ending up in the oceans.
Without urgent action, scientists predict that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea.

Plastic waste poses a deadly threat to marine life—suffocating birds, fish, and mammals while damaging key ecosystems.

Moreover, as plastics break down into microplastics due to ocean erosion and sunlight, they enter our food, water, and even air.

Although the full health implications of microplastics remain unknown, early research suggests they may disrupt vital bodily functions—and there is currently no method to fully remove them from the environment or our bodies.
The campaign supports multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

SDG 12: Responsible, Consumption and ProductionSDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water

It also reflects the core principles of the Commonwealth Charter, especially: Article 9: Sustainable Development. Article 10: Protection of the Environment and Article 14: Recognition of the Needs of Small States

As the world grapples with escalating environmental challenges, the Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign represents a significant step in uniting nations, communities, and young leaders under a shared mission: to protect our oceans, preserve biodiversity, and build a cleaner, safer world for future generations.

Share on Facebook