Ekiti State governmet in collaboration with Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), and other Non-governmental Organisations has organised a week-long training programme on management of forest.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the For Forest Certification Training Programme tagged: Forest Certification for Responsible Forest Management”, was aimed at educating stakeholders on the need to uptimally preserve and manage the forest.
Other collaborators in the programme are United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNEECO), Soil Association as well as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
It attracted participants such as saw millers, timber traders as well charcoal sellers, amongst others.
Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti, in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the programme on Monday, described the training as one of it’s kind for forest managers in the sustainable methods of managing forests under the recognised leading global standard, the Forestry Stewardship Council standards.
Egbeyemi, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Iyabo Fakunle-Okiemen, said the training was a clear testimony of the seriousness the present state administration attached to forest related issues.
According to him, we need this not only because our environment is in trouble, but also as a way of safeguarding our economy.
Egbeyemi said the government had demonstrated it’s sincerity over prudent management of the environment through the forest by adopting “Obeche” as the state official tree during the last International Day of Forest.
“As you may know, two weeks ago we celebrated World Forest Day (21st March) with a ‘first’ in Nigeria, by adopting an official State Tree for Ekiti State, the first State in Nigeria to do so, in order to highlight the importance of our forests as our indigenous heritage.
“We chose
Obeche (Triplochiton) as our State Tree, due to its cultural symbolism, natural prevalence here, and the need to promote it after many years of over-exploitation.
“It is also significant that the theme of World Forest Day 2022 was sustainability in forests and forest products. So this course represents another related ‘first’,” he said.
Otunba Egbeyemi expressed optimism that Ekiti State should be very fertile soil for the new methods and approaches that would be fashioned through the training to take root.
“According to a 2011 report the previously commission forests and related industries create around 15,000 direct jobs in Ekiti and contribute to many more thousands
of indirect jobs and livelihoods.
“As we have adopted a Forestry Commission model to involve stakeholders more in
managing our forest resources and to plan over the medium-term, we like to think that we are pursuing an enlightened and future-oriented path.
“We have been one of the first State
Goverments to pursue large-scale afforestation with our own indigenous tree species as well as plantations of imported exotics.
“We also have the first and only State Tree Growers’ Association in Nigeria, of which His Excellency the Deputy Governor of our State is proud to be both President and a Founding Member, and many other members are in this room today.
“And in our gracious and much appreciated host today, Aare Afe Babalola, we have
another significant tree grower, with over half a million stands close to where we are right
now.
“We need to do better in the future than was done in the past; a half century over over-exploitation has left our forest in a dire state.
“And, if we want it to recover to a
level where not only the environment, but our well-established timber, forestry and related
industries have a future, we need to be oriented for sustainability,” Egbeyemi said.
Earlier, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola said afforestation was an effective way of combating global warming and climate change.
Aare Babalola represented by the acting vice Chancellor of the university, professor Smaranda Olarinde advocated excellent forest management practice among Nigerians for healthy life style.
“Nigeria, like other countries across the world, has become conscious of it’s citizens’ poor attitudes about deforestation in particular. Food and other necessities of life must be provided for an ever-increasing population.
“However, this should not be accomplished at the expense of degrading the source of these essential supply.
“The efforts of corporate and governmet entities at various levels in afforestation and tree-planting programmes are therefore encouraged and commended.
“However, there is still need for forestry and forests management to be repositioned, which has necessitated this gathering at today’s forestry-training programme, the first of its kind in Nigeria.
“If it’s going to be, it’s up to you” and all of us. It is our responsibility to ensure that excellent forest management practices are incorporated into our attitude and lifestyle,” he said.
NAN reports that some of the topics of the weeklong training sessions are; The International Context for Forest Certification – The Journey so Far, Voluntary Forest Standards – Overview of Forrest Stewardship Council (FSP) and Pan Europe Forest Certification (PEFC).
Others are; Market Development and Forest Certification, Forest Management – Stakeholder and Community Engagement, Forest Management – For Workers, Forest Management Planning and Monitoring and Introduction to Site Visit, Forest Management – High Conservation Value, Forest Management – Economic Benefits from the Forest as well as Forest Management – Economic and Social Impacts. (www.nannews.ng)
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