The Minister of Environment Mallam, Balarabe Lawal has said that outdated laws and legislations remained one of the challenges confronting sustainable forest and biodiversity conservation in the country.
The Minister disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the policy dialogue review of the “Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024”
He stressed the various subsisting laws and legislation have proven to be inadequate in addressing this problem, saying this explained why the draft Bill on the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection 2024 to policy dialogue, thereby giving opportunity for stakeholders to contribute and make the document impeccable as much as possible.
The minister said the Bill could best be described as a child of necessity in view of the emerging scenarios and the need to keep pace with the current realities.
Lawal stated: “You will agree with me that outdated laws and legislations remain one of the challenges confronting sustainable forest and biodiversity conservation in the country.
“The challenges facing our environment and wildlife are substantial, ranging from habitat loss to poaching and illegal trafficking.
“The anticipated passage of this bill is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative to protect and preserve the rich tapestry of life that sustains us all.”
The Minister pointed out that increasing population coupled with transboundary crime particularly wildlife and forestry crime has continued to mount pressure on the natural resources.
According to him, Although, Nigeria is being dubbed as a transit point for wildlife trafficking, we are not losing sight of such crime being perpetrated domestically.
Lawal noted that the Bill, if passed into law, would help accelerate progress in the fight against wildlife and forest crime and subsequently catalyse the protection and conservation of our iconic species most importantly, the endangered species.
