By Ngalame Elias
The African Forest Forum (AFF), in partnership with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Desk of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria, is organizing a national policy dialogue aimed at strengthening the integration of forestry into national biodiversity governance frameworks.
The event is part of AFF’s ongoing Sida-supported project, “Transforming the African Forest Forum to enhance its capacity to improve livelihoods and environmental stability through better management of African forest and tree resources,” a press release from AFF secretariat says.
The dialogue accordingly,comes in the context of AFF’s 2024 studies on Africa’s forest biodiversity hotspots, which have focused on improving stakeholder understanding of how biodiversity, desertification, and climate change policies impact forest management; exploring climate-resilient value chains of biodiversity products and services; integrating traditional and indigenous knowledge into forest-based livelihoods; and promoting renewable biomass energy options that are efficient, environmentally friendly, and socially inclusive.
Through this initiative, AFF seeks to empower government agencies, civil society, private sector actors, local communities, women, and youth to take coordinated action for sustainable forest management, informed by African context-specific knowledge and scientific evidence. Strengthening environmental governance and policy coordination is critical to ensure the sustainable supply of ecosystem goods and services for socio-economic development and human well-being, the release says.
Nigeria harbors exceptional biodiversity, including endemic species and diverse ecosystems ranging from the rainforests of Cross River to the Niger Delta’s coastal creeks, savannahs, mountains, and freshwater systems. However, fragmented governance and weak policy integration often undermine effective forest and biodiversity management. Strengthening coordination among sectoral policies—spanning environment, forestry, land, climate, and agriculture—is essential for achieving conservation goals, the release notes.
The three day workshop will involve activities including presentations on national biodiversity instruments, climate change, and desertification policies, with emphasis on forestry integration, Key findings from policy analysis highlighting opportunities, barriers, and recommendations, group work sessions and plenary discussions to develop actionable solutions and a roadmap for inter-sectoral coordination.
The workshop brings together some 30 participants representing government ministries and agencies, civil society, private sector, research institutes, Indigenous peoples, and youth and women-led organizations across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
It is expected to validate a national report analyzing biodiversity policy instruments and their integration of forestry, inform key stakeholders on opportunities and challenges for inter-sectoral coordination, achieve consensus on priority actions to enhance forest governance, develop a shared roadmap detailing roles, responsibilities, timelines, and actions for implementation, establish a framework for ongoing inter-institutional collaboration across forestry, biodiversity, and related sectors.