Balarabe Abbas Lawal has called on the media to play a more proactive role in tackling Nigeria’s escalating environmental challenges, stressing that informed reporting and sustained public awareness are vital to protecting the nation’s ecological future.
The minister made the call on Wednesday during a media engagement workshop in Abuja, where he described journalists and digital communicators as critical partners in addressing climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Highlighting the influence of the media as the Fourth Estate, Lawal said accurate and impactful reporting is essential to shaping public understanding at a time when Nigeria is facing increasing environmental pressures.
“The environment is not an abstract concept. It is the air we breathe, the land that feeds us, the rivers that sustain communities, and the climate that shapes the future,” he said.
The minister outlined major ecological threats confronting the country, including advancing desertification in the North, flooding and erosion in the South-East and South-South, oil pollution and gas flaring in the Niger Delta, widespread deforestation, and the growing effects of climate change on livelihoods and food security.
He noted that under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Federal Government has intensified efforts to promote environmental sustainability alongside economic development.
According to Lawal, key interventions in 2025—such as the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project and the National Agency for the Great Green Wall—have led to the restoration of over 1.14 million hectares of degraded land and the planting of more than 1.5 million trees nationwide.
Despite these gains, the minister emphasised that environmental reporting remains underrepresented in mainstream discourse, often treated as secondary despite its direct implications for agriculture, public health, and economic stability.
He urged journalists to adopt data-driven and solutions-focused approaches, while leveraging digital and social media platforms to engage Nigeria’s youthful population and amplify climate awareness.
Lawal also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the media through improved access to environmental data, field operations, and information resources.
He stressed that media narratives have the capacity to influence public behaviour, shape policy direction, and mobilise collective action toward environmental sustainability.
“Future generations deserve a Nigeria where the air is clean, forests thrive, rivers run pure, and the land remains productive,” he said.
