Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has inaugurated the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Reporting Technical Committee, charging members to provide accurate and reliable data to support efforts aimed at addressing land degradation across the country.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held in Abuja, the minister described the committee’s assignment as critical to Nigeria’s environmental sustainability agenda and ongoing efforts to restore degraded lands.
Lawal noted that land remains a vital national asset for infrastructure development and agricultural production, warning that persistent degradation poses serious threats to food security, environmental stability and economic growth.
According to him, the committee’s responsibility in generating credible environmental data would strengthen government policies and interventions targeted at combating desertification, drought and other forms of land degradation.
The minister urged members of the committee to collaborate closely with environmental stakeholders, agencies and relevant departments to ensure degraded lands are effectively restored and properly managed.
He explained that the committee’s core mandate centres on reporting and documentation, stressing that accurate environmental data is essential for effective planning and implementation of sustainable land management programmes.
Lawal also identified the promotion of alternative cooking methods and intensified tree-planting campaigns as part of strategies required to reduce deforestation and mitigate environmental degradation nationwide.
He further stated that the selection of committee members followed a rigorous process, reflecting the importance of the assignment, and called on them to demonstrate professionalism, dedication and commitment in carrying out their responsibilities.
Earlier, the Director of Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Management, Regina Nwaneri, said the inauguration represented another significant step in Nigeria’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
Nwaneri explained that the reporting process extends beyond statutory compliance, noting that it also offers Nigeria the opportunity to present its achievements, challenges and ongoing interventions in sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration.
“The assignment before this committee is therefore of great importance. Your expertise, dedication, and collaborative efforts will be instrumental in ensuring the delivery of a credible, comprehensive, and timely national report that reflects the true state of implementation in Nigeria,” she said.
She also commended institutions represented on the committee for their support and commitment to the national assignment, expressing confidence that members would work together in the spirit of professionalism, partnership and shared responsibility.
Nigeria, like several countries within the Sahel region, continues to grapple with the effects of desertification, deforestation, drought and climate change, particularly in northern areas where shrinking vegetation and advancing desert conditions threaten livelihoods, food security and economic stability.
In recent years, the Federal Government has intensified afforestation campaigns, ecosystem restoration projects and sustainable land management initiatives in line with global environmental commitments under the UNCCD.
