Forest degradation is becoming very alarming in most of the interior parts of Nigeria, and suggestions have been made for technology to be used to preserve forest life.
Mr Kolawole Fagbohun, the Ogun state head of service, has suggested the use of technology to foster sustainability and conservation of forest life.
According to a report, on Sunday, while speaking during the International Day of Forests 2024, the Head of Service, represented by Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Service Matter, Dipo Ogunfowora, made this call for forest degradation to be fought with technological devices which held at the Ministry of Forestry, Governor’s Office, Abeokuta.
He emphasised the adoption of modern dynamics forestry practice, which includes the current ways of controlling insect and pest invasion in farms with the use of data analysis and the application of artificial intelligence to supervise forest ecosystems, helping with the migration of different tree species to create an environment resilient to forestry, among other things.
This year’s International Day of Forests theme was “Forests and Innovation: New Resolution for A Better World.”
The HOS said this in quote, “Constant threat to forest survival at the global, national and local level, include deforestation, forest degradation, land usage conflict, lack of governance enforcement, climate change and invasion of forests by illegal dwellers.
“All of these factors are militating against the effective growth of our forests, and it, therefore, requires the joint efforts of all to tackle these challenges.”
According to Mr. Fagbohun, the Ogun State government has started the process of constantly tackling all these challenges by chasing intruders from all nine reserves. They have also started planting more trees to prevent deforestation and have also gotten involved in partnerships with some private establishments for forest regeneration.
He continued his speech by saying that ” the conservation and protection of forests is a collective responsibility of all, and this is why we should all desist from activities such as burning trees, farm cultivation on forest reserves, felling trees, and other illegal acts that can have adverse effects on society,” he asserted.
Also contributing to the possible solutions to the current forest degradation issue is the Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, he noted that the platform for all online payment for logging operations had been erected by the ministry to obstruct revenue diversion from tree harvesting.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Oludotun, Mr Timothy Olatunji, also said that the state government on its way to providing assistance towards accomplishing the goal of planting over one million tree seedlings on 848.33hectares in all forest reserves all around across the state last year, 2023.
He also said that the ministry of forestry had also planted over 4,080 trees at the Ogun Agro-cargo Airport at Iperu in Ikenne Local Government Area to enhance the beauty and aesthetics of the airport.
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