Nigeria Has Lost Over 70% of Forest Reserves, Environmentalists Warn
…Experts, communities demand urgent action against deforestation, illegal mining and extractive activities
Nigeria has lost more than 70 per cent of its forest reserves and continues to lose an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 hectares of forest annually, environmental experts and stakeholders have warned.
The stakeholders, drawn from government, traditional institutions, academia, civil society, labour unions, host communities, youth and women groups, development partners and the media, issued the warning at the Third Nigeria Socio-Ecological Alternatives Convergence (NSAC), held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The convergence, convened by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and partner organisations, focused on the theme: “Deforestation, Mining, and the Crisis of Human Security in Nigeria.”
Participants said the country’s deepening ecological crisis, driven by deforestation, unregulated mining, biodiversity loss, pollution, desertification, coastal erosion and climate change, was increasingly threatening food and water security, livelihoods, public health and national stability.
They warned that the expanding global demand for critical minerals, although capable of creating economic opportunities for Nigeria, could expose the country to a new wave of environmental destruction, displacement and exploitation if not governed by strong environmental safeguards, transparency, accountability and respect for community rights.
The convergence stressed that Nigeria’s environmental crisis was not merely an ecological problem but a fundamental governance and development challenge requiring a decisive shift from profit-driven resource exploitation to people-centred and environmentally responsible development.
Participants said the country must protect forests, wetlands, rivers, farmlands and other ecological commons from unsustainable exploitation, land grabbing and poorly regulated extractive activities.
They also called for the recognition of indigenous knowledge, customary land rights and the right of communities to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their land, livelihoods and environment.
The event featured presentations by environmental advocate and President of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey; the Emir of Nasarawa, His Royal Highness Ibrahim Usman Jibril, represented by the immediate past Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr. Salisu Dahiru; and a keynote address by Professor Omolade Adunbi.
Other contributors included Professor Ibrahim Umara, Hauwa Mustapha, Dr. Martins Egot and Nasreen Al-Amin, who participated in panel discussions on the environmental, social, economic and governance implications of deforestation, mining and the global energy transition.
The stakeholders observed that environmental degradation was increasingly fuelling conflict, displacement, organised crime, food insecurity and socio-economic vulnerability, with women, young people, Indigenous Peoples and rural communities bearing a disproportionate burden.
They further noted that host communities continued to bear the environmental, social and health costs of extractive activities while receiving limited economic benefits.
According to the convergence, community consent, customary land rights and meaningful participation remain inadequately protected in many resource-rich areas of the country.
The participants also raised concerns over the expansion of mining amid weak regulatory enforcement, illegal mining, inadequate environmental monitoring and limited institutional capacity.
They said the situation was compounded by ineffective Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, poor transparency, inadequate public participation and weak mine closure, remediation and restoration practices.
The stakeholders warned that forests, wetlands, farmlands and other critical ecosystems were under increasing pressure from logging, mining, infrastructure development, land acquisitions and poorly regulated carbon market initiatives.
They said such activities were undermining biodiversity, climate resilience and traditional livelihoods.
The convergence also condemned the growing intimidation of environmental defenders, journalists and civil society actors, warning that attacks on those who expose environmental abuses undermine transparency, accountability and democratic governance.
The stakeholders said Nigeria’s transition to a low-carbon economy must not simply replace one form of extractivism with another.
They warned that the global energy transition, while creating opportunities for industrialisation and economic diversification, could reproduce the environmental injustices associated with decades of oil and gas extraction if critical minerals were exploited without strong social and environmental protections.
The convergence therefore called on the Federal Government to adopt a National Just Energy Transition and Critical Minerals Strategy that would prioritise ecological security, renewable energy, climate action, environmental protection, industrialisation and community development.
It also demanded stronger enforcement of environmental and mining laws, the empowerment of regulatory institutions and intensified action against illegal mining and logging.
The stakeholders called for the mandatory application of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for all projects affecting Indigenous Peoples and host communities.
They demanded recognition of customary land rights, equitable benefit-sharing and the protection of ecologically sensitive areas, including forests, wetlands, biodiversity hotspots and watersheds, from destructive extractive activities.
The convergence further called for greater transparency in the natural resources sector through independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, restoration bonds, mine closure plans, regular environmental audits and the public disclosure of licences, contracts, beneficial ownership information and environmental compliance records.
It urged the government to promote domestic value addition, local content, technology transfer, sustainable formalisation of artisanal mining and the development of a circular mineral economy.
The stakeholders also called for increased investment in renewable energy, ecological restoration and climate resilience, particularly in underserved communities.
They demanded protection for environmental defenders and stronger collaboration among government, traditional institutions, communities, civil society, academia, labour and the private sector.
In its declaration, the convergence affirmed that forests, land, water, biodiversity and mineral resources were public ecological assets whose governance must serve the public interest.
It warned against repeating what it described as the environmental and governance failures associated with decades of oil and gas extraction.
The participants said Nigeria was at a defining moment in its environmental and development trajectory and must ensure that opportunities arising from the global demand for critical minerals did not come at the expense of environmental sustainability, community rights, human rights, social justice, intergenerational equity and meaningful public participation.
The convergence unanimously adopted the communiqué and reaffirmed its commitment to advancing democratic natural resource governance and sustainable, people-centred development in Nigeria.
