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CSO calls for nationwide remediation programme to combat desertification

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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

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Environment

Akwa Ibom emerges Nigeria’s cleanest state for 4th times

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Joel Ajayi

Akwa-Ibom state, one of the states in the south-south geopolitical zone, for the 4th consecutive time has emerged the cleanest state in the country followed by Ebonyi and Bauchi states respectively. 

The Land of Promise state emerged Cleanest State for the year 2022 in Nigeria, with a cumulative score of 62% and the 2nd and 3rd States (Ebonyi 45% and Bauchi 44%)

The international Non-governmental organization known as the Clean-Up Nigeria CUN revealed that Performance indicators from the December 2021 to November 2022 studies Akwa ibom polled 54% to emerge the winner.

Also the reports showed that over 176.3million Nigerians are living in an unclean environment.

Speaking at the briefing in Abuja while presenting the clean-up Report the founder of Clean-up Nigeria Prince Ene Baba Owoh Jr. MON restated that there is a need to encourage alternative actions on personal hygiene/sanitation in order to ensure a cleaner, healthier and safer Nigeria for all and in the end make the world a better place to live.

According to him, 32 out of 36 States including the rest of FCT outside of Abuja City by our statistical study are rated as unclean States. 

“Performance indicators from our studies show that over 176.3million Nigerians in 2022 are living in unclean environments, compared to 172 million in 2021.

“There has been no increase in the number of States with sanitary Landfills beside Lagos, Oyo, Abuja and Bauchi while the remaining 34 States operate open dumping. This development is not only alarming but clearly indicates lack of seriousness by governments at levels to key into the global best practices of waste modernization with related benefits. 

“As our graphic chart statistics on monitoring/evaluation of the  States have shown only 7 States (Akwa Ibom, Abuja, Cross River, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Lagos and Kaduna) who scored above 10% out of the 30% on the streets/roads cleanliness indicators have clean Roads in the country. 

“It is imperative to know that the year 2022 study has the input of 70% satellite monitoring with the applied performance indicators early stated  to score across board the ratings of States/Cities on their Cleanliness  Performance. 

“As our graphic chart statistics on monitoring/evaluation of the States have shown only 7 States (Akwa Ibom, Abuja, Cross River, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Lagos and Kaduna) who scored above 10% out of  the 30% on the streets/roads cleanliness indicators have clean roads in the country. 

“On personal hygiene and sanitation only four States (Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Cross River and Abuja City) scored above 4% of the 15% and can be said to come close to possession of good personal hygiene/sanitation practices in the country.

In his remark after receiving the Second best state Commissioner, Ebonyi State Ministry of Environment who also doubles as the Commissioner for Grant and Donor Agencies, Hon (Dr) Richard Nnabu appreciated the clean-up Nigeria for the diligent work that will take Nigeria to better heights.

He called on the government at all levels not to relent in creating awareness to the general public to make our environment a better and safer place for all.

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