The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has warned against the indiscriminate use of wetlands, especially in the Lagos metropolis.
The Director-General of NCF, Dr Joseph Onoja, gave the warning in an interview on Thursday, February 2, 2023, in Lagos to mark World Wetlands Day (WWD) which is set aside by the United Nations.
Onoja said that the expansion of the human population and the development of technology are responsible for wetlands disappearing more quickly than they should, adding that the purpose of WWD was to raise awareness of the value and significance of wetlands to the environment.
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The Director-General lamented that the challenges posed by climate change were being exacerbated by human activities, particularly those of some real estate developers who willfully alter wetlands by sand filling.
While noting that wetlands act as a flood buffer, particularly in the Lagos metropolitan, Onoja hailed the wildlife conservation and endangered species protection law that is now being debated in the National Assembly as a positive move.
He noted that if the bill is passed into law, it would demonstrate to the world that Nigeria is serious about protecting endangered species and conserving nature. The bill, he added, would provide the enforcement and prosecuting authorities with the necessary tools to pursue those involved in the illicit wild trade.
“The bill perfectly fits into one of the NCF Strategic Action Plan’s (SAP) objectives, “Saving Species in Peril,” he said, maintaining that the NCF had been at the forefront of advocating for wildlife protection as one of the top non-governmental environmental organizations in the country.
Story was adapted from Enviro News.
