FAO, ECOWAS partner FG on agroforestry investment

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), the Government of Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have partnered on strategies to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in Nigeria.

FAO, along with FG and ECOWAS yesterday held a validation workshop in Abuja to strategically engage stakeholders in the environment sector to implement interventions that would positively affect the conservation of biodiversity of global economic and environmental importance.

The two-day event, which focused on the National Forest Investment Plan (NFIP), under the aegis of the West African Forest Convergence Plan adopted in September 2013 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, is based on a long process of forest dialogue involving the 15 ECOWAS member states, intergovernmental organizations and international organizations of the United Nations System and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

Nigeria country representative of FAO, Mr Suffyan Koroma, said the organization would fully support the implementation of the convergence plan for the sustainable management and use of forest ecosystem in Nigeria.

Represented by Hajiya Sadiya Ibrahim, he said FAO has provided support to Nigeria in the development of its national forestry investment programme, adding that the organization was working with the Ministry of Environment, states and other partners to achieve zero hunger and sustainable natural resources management.

The Minister of Environment, Malam Ibrahim Usman Jibril, represented by the Director, General Services of the ministry, Mr Tahir N. Suleiman, said the Federal Government was committed to West African Forest Convergence Plan adopted in September 2013 in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire to boost its forest resources.