As the world celebrates the 2023 International Day of Forests, stakeholders in forestry have called for sustainable conservation of the forestry ecosystem and green spaces to promote human well-being.
Among the stakeholders who made the call on Tuesday in Ibadan, Oyo State, were Mr Adedayo Memudu, the acting director of technical programs for the Nigerian Conservation Fund (NCF), and Prof. Adeboyinfunmi Aderonmu, provost of the Federal College of Forestry, Jericho, Ibadan.
Memudu stated that the International Day of Forests is observed annually on March 21 to increase public awareness and emphasize the value of forests to humans and the survival of the planet.
In his words, “It is to let people know what roles, values and benefits that we can drive from keeping our forests intact and keeping our trees healthy and what they do to promote the healthy well-being of individuals.
Read Also: SPP urges Nigeria’s next government to tackle climate crisis
“And as well as the livelihoods in terms of employment generation, ecological importance and social significance of forest landscapes.
“So we are encouraging people to see forests as our valuable resources that we must protect and not allow to go into extinction.”
On his part, Aderonmu said the take-home for the International Day of Forests was that “when our forest is healthy then we can have a healthy living.
“When we destroy our forest, it means we are destroying ourselves. So we should take care of our green environment and ensure we have a green environment around us.
“This is because it is the green plants that supply the oxygen that we breathe and without green plants human survival is dicey.
“It is important that we maintain a green environment for our healthy living. Once the last tree dies, the last man dies.”
Story was adapted from Enviro News
