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Nigerian Govt, ECOWAS, others partner to restore degraded ecosystem
The Federal Government of Nigeria, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABiLED), have collaborated to restore and transform the ecosystem in the community.
The stakeholders collaborated to deliberate on the ECOWAS Coordination Meeting for the upcoming 15th Conference of Parties to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP-15), in Abuja on Monday.
The Minister of State for Environment, Mr Udi Odum, while declaring the meeting open, said that the purpose of the gathering was to discuss how to work together for effective transformation of the ecosystem.
Odum also said that the government, ECOWAS and other stakeholders decided to collaborate to discuss the regional position and priority areas for the sub-region on the CBD post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
“We can take the ambitious road and work together as a sub-region to choose a different path which is the path of conservation, restoration, transformation and sustainable use of our biodiversity.
“For indeed, our solutions are really in nature; if we do not act, we will soon reach tipping points that may cause irreversible destruction to nature and ultimately humankind,” he said.
Odum recalled that at the 14th conference of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Sharm el Sheikh 2018, a decision was taken for a sustainable transformation of the ecosystem.
He said that part of the decision was to have comprehensive participation in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
He said that the open-ended inter-sessional working group was established to support the preparation of the post-2020 GBF.
According to him, the establishment of the working group is also for the post-2020 GBF to be implemented between the years 2021 and 2030.
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He said that great progress had been made so far at the various meeting of the working group.
He, however, called on stakeholders to collaborate with the government and ECOWAS to strengthen their commitment to the successful negotiation of the GBF.
The minister was represented by Mr John Daniel, Acting Director of the Department of Forestry in the ministry.
Also speaking, the Head of Department, ECOWAS Directorate of Environment, Mr Bernard Kofi, said that one of the importance of the GBF negotiation was to conserve the protected areas of the region.
On his part, the WABiLED Policy and Partnerships Lead, Ghana, Dr Marcelin Mahop, said that the post-2020 GBF was a grand plan that would set the world on track.
Mahop said that the track would as well accomplish the world the ideal of living in harmony with nature by 2050.
He said that the post-2020 GBF would replace 2011 to 2020 strategic plan for biodiversity which was a framework for action by all countries to safeguard biodiversity and the benefits provided.
He said that the WABiLED was aimed at reducing deforestation, forest degradation and biodiversity loss among others, in key transboundary forest landscapes.
He urged the participants to use the platform to provide products that would show the world that ambitions and leadership came from West Africa.
