A don, Prof. Ipoola Faleyimu, has tasked governments at all levels to allocate more funds for the development of forestry department in order to help in enhancing the country’s economic development.
Faleyimu, made this known on Monday at the 9th Inaugural Lecture of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, Ondo State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture is themed: “Forest Policy in the Midst of Politics”
Faleyimu, the Dean, School of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, OAUSTECH, described forest policy as a direction for forestry development in Nigeria,
The don, who is also a lecturer at the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Management added that forestry management can be realised if forest policy objectives are faithfully implemented by the government to achieve target objectives.
He harped on the need for more attention to be given to the development of forest policy in the country.
according to him, Apart from increasing annual budgetary allocation to forestry, foreign fund equally needs to be mobilised by government to support conservation and other programmes like aforestation and reforestation”
While expressing serious concern about the challenges facing the development of forest policy in the country, he attributed the problem to high level of corruption among government officials, inadequate information from the policymakers and lack of complementary rules by all forestry stakeholders in the forestry affairs.
On challenges facing the development of forestry policy in Nigeria, the don listed weak legal system to regulate behaviour in the case of forest resources, encroachment, illegal felling of trees in the forest reserves , poverty, inadequate finance, political instability, ineffective supervision of forest resources among others.
“As a way of addressing the problem, the measures that can be taken to include proper coordination between the Federal and State Governments in terms of policy implementation, better remuneration of workers and provision of appropriate equipment to ensure effective management and enforcement of policy to mention a few
“Other recommendations include economic incentives for local communities around protected areas with the aim of reducing encroachment.
“Also the need for closer interaction between public and private sectors for joint or collaborative forest management and basic education for all farmers and communities with regards to conservation, noted that such education could as well be introduced to the secondary school curriculum,” Faleyimu said.
Earlier, Prof. Temi Ologunorisa, OAUSTECH’s Vice Chancellor in his address, described the theme of the lecture as apt and timely.
Ologunorisa, who was represented by Prof. Foluso Adetuyi, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), expressed concerned about the state of the Nigeria economy in the last two years, a development he said has brought “general slowdown of economic activities, high inflation.
He said that extreme poverty and high rate of unemployment and stated that there was need for the government to take urgent step, in order to address the situation.
“Policy makers in the country , especially those in the field of forestry should give more attention to the development of forest policy, the move will help in securing economic prosperity for the country in the nearest future, Ologunorisa said.
He commended the lecturer and expressed optimism that the recommendations of the lecture would proffer solution to the economic problem confronting the forestry development in the nation.
Ologunorisa also stressed the need for government at all levels in Nigeria to implement policies that would encourage more developed of forestry policy with the views of making forestry become job creators and contributors to country’s growth and societal stability.
The lecture was attended by lecturers from various departments in the institution, students as well as friends and family of the lecturer among others.