Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
A need for a holistic approach to combat desertification, land degradation, and drought in Nigeria has been advocated.
The Minister of Environment, Engr. Balarabe Abbas Lawal made the call at a workshop to review the National Policy on drought and desertification, held at Reiz Continental Hotel in Abuja on July 2, 2025.
Accordimg to Engr. Lawal, desertification, land degradation, and drought are global challenges that aggravate economic, social, and environmental problems such as poverty, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and forced migration.
Engr. Lawal stated in his keynote address that Nigeria is not exempted from these challenges, with an estimated 50-75% of some states in the country affected by desertification.
The Minister also stressed that any policy review must take into consideration emerging environmental concerns and gaps that need to be bridged, noting that the reviewed policy document must be based on participatory and bottom-up approaches, with decisions taken with the full participation of every stakeholder, including affected communities.
Engr. Lawal also pointed out the importance of basic principles such as precautionary and proactive measures, inter and intra-generational equity, sustainable development, and gender equity in the policy review. He further stressed that the policy review must take cognizance of policies on agriculture, mining, urban development, climate change, and other relevant sectors.
Engr. Lawal lauded the World Bank for providing financial support for the policy review through the ACReSAL Project.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Adam Kabari, stated in his welcome remarks that stakeholders should actively participate in the review process and work together to craft a policy that will mitigate the threats of drought and desertification and unlock the potential for a more resilient, prosperous, and sustainable Nigeria.
It is noteworthy that the policy review is a strong affirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding the environment and ensuring a sustainable future for its citizens.
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