Nigeria faces critical forest loss, with up to four million hectares lost annually, prompting a major new partnership to plant over half a million trees in Bayelsa State to safeguard biodiversity, enhance livelihoods, and mitigate climate change.
Nigeria is losing approximately four million hectares of land annually to deforestation, a crisis underscored by Anita Edo-Osagie, Deputy General Manager of First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited (First E&P).
Speaking at the launch of the Afforestation Livelihood Enhancement Carbon Sequestration (ALEC) Project in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, she highlighted the urgent need for reforestation, as Nigeria’s original forests have suffered 70-80 percent loss.
The ALEC project is a five-year collaboration between NNPC Ltd/First E&P, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), and the Bayelsa State Government, aiming to plant 550,000 trees in 11 communities within Brass and Southern Ijaw local government areas. Edo-Osagie warned that Nigeria’s mangrove forests and 309 threatened species face extinction by 2050 without immediate action.
She emphasized the broader impact: “Climate change, deforestation, and land degradation are escalating global threats… For our littoral KEFESSO communities, the degradation means losing natural fish nurseries, storm protection, and part of their cultural heritage”.
Beyond tree planting, ALEC focuses on restoring biodiversity, introducing sustainable livelihoods like piggery and poultry, and fostering community participation through forest management programs. Prof Nimibofa Ayawei, Bayelsa State’s Secretary to Government, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to systematically combat deforestation, notably in mangrove areas, balancing tree removal with replanting efforts.
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation’s Director of Technical Programmes, Adedamola Ogunsesa, stated the initiative aims to fuse indigenous knowledge with science to improve ecosystem resilience and local economies, benefiting women and youths in the communities.