By SAMUEL CHIJIOKE OKORIE

Since the dawn of human history, human beings have been at war with nature till date; which has led to many degraded land, herders-farmers’ conflict, poor harvest, and water scarcity.

A major form of land degradation common in Nigeria is soil pollution from companies’ activities, such as oil spillage, common in the southern region of the country; over-grazing by pastoralists in the northern region, which has given rise to unprecedented migration of pastoralists in search of food for their cattle, resulting in many violent conflicts between farmers and herders; communal clash and banditry. There is also the growing incidence of logging, which is highly practised majorly in the South-West and South-South geopolitical zones of the country. Logging is defined as the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. However, this practice, which is illegally carried out has cleared about 60 per cent of the country’s forest and natural habitation, rich biodiversity hotspot.

Nigeria’s dry land has played a crucial role in food production for the country and other African countries; it contributed about 45 per cent of the country’s GDP from 2011 to 2015. Today, Nigeria’s GDP from the agricultural sector is less than 21 per cent (Nigerian Economic Chart Park), and may drop to 10 per cent by 2030.

According to Mr Samuel Onuigbo, Member, House of Representatives and immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Climate Change, Nigeria loses 350 to 400 hectares of land, which is about 3.500000 square kilometres to 4.000000 square kilometres to land degradation, because of deforestation, logging, over-grazing and unsustainable agricultural practices and land use by community members, farmers, and companies. This may extend to 1,000 to 1,500 hectares by 2030, if no restoration plan is put in place with immediate effect to avoid losing most of our dry land.

Onuigbo added: “Mangrove forest in Niger Delta is almost wiped out with little possibility of recovery because of the soil condition, affecting the livelihood of the people, giving rise to land degradation, food scarcity, violent community conflicts, migration, and land pollution.”

This view is also supported by an article on “Land Cover Dynamics and Mangrove Degradation in the Niger Delta Region,” written by Iliya Ishaku Nababa and Co (2020), which stated inter alia: “More than 220 oil spills and 17 billion cubic metres of gas flares annually in this region together with the impacts of the human population explosion, have led to the degradation of the Niger Delta ecosystem.”

This is already evident in the cost of food in the country, influenced by food scarcity due to land degradation. For instance, according to a market survey carried out by yours truly: in 2015, a bag of rice in Nigeria was sold for N8,000 – N10,000 and in 2021, there is a rise in cost as a bag of rice sells for N26,000 to N34,000, which is about 250 per cent increase in cost; and may rise up to 300 per cent increase by 2022.

The South-West and South-South regions of Nigeria has undergone series of severe threat from the activities of loggers, leading to loss of many rich biodiversity hotspot in the region, erosion of farm crops, flood, low food production and even loss of lives and property.

The case of land degradation in Cross River State, could be seen as an intentional approach of man’s action to expose dry land to rapid degradation through series of logging, especially in the northern area of the state where logging activity is carried out as source of livelihood, particularly by a group of people driven by get-rich-quick mentality. If unchecked, this poses a threat to life and security of the community members.

In an interview with some of the residents of the area, they lamented how their lands were been forcefully taken from them by these loggers and also how the logging activity has affected their farmlands and food harvest.

According to them, these agro-trees which are being hunted by loggers, protects their food and cash crops from heat-wave, direct contact from hot sun, strong wind, high temperature, flood, heavy downpour of rain, erosion, and likewise supplies the soil with good micro and biological nutrients that promote crop growth.

A major stakeholder in the community, during the interview, said: “I know how many of my boys that have lost their lives and some sustained severe injury while trying to resist the loggers who often come with trucks, tree-cutting tools and armed security officers to cut our trees.”

Another respondent during the interview expressed his deep concern for the forest which, to him, is symbolic to the people’s historical existence, a cultural heritage from their ancestors, and home to thousands of wild life species that may go into extinction soon.

It became even became clearer that farmers no longer go to farm due to the intensive logging activity carried out by a particular group of people who pose as threats and insecurity to the community as they have made it unable for farmers to go to farm and also stand as an opposition to anyone that comes in-between their way. In most cases, this has led to loss of lives and injuries.

Further investigation discovered that security officers of the state are aware of this act, yet nothing has been done to stop it.

In a discussion with a conservationist, Mr Owan Emmanuel, he said: “Even the security personnel are not showing any concern to this logging. I have reported this logging activity to some security personnel and their response has always been: I would need to get an official letter from the governor with his signature mandating them to prosecute those who are engaged in logging activity in the state and advise the community to desist from it. Until the governor issues a warrant to this effect, we cannot do anything from our own end to stop the loggers from carrying out their activities.”

It was also gathered from a local media that “in a day, about 49 trucks carries timber out of the forest of Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State” which, according to the reporter (name withheld), is on a small-scale compared to what is happening in Boki Local Government of the state.

Our dry land which makes 80 per cent of the country’s forest with rich ecosystem conserved for years is currently facing a serious threat in the hands of loggers, due to greed and failure of the government to protect the resource not only for its immediate benefit to the people but because of the danger it portends.

In May, 2021, during a media forest-tour with the Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, he told reporters that “60 per cent of the state’s forest is still well reserved.” Yet, community leaders, stakeholders and Conservationists are disturbed by reports of huge daily logging activity in most parts of the state, such as Boki, Akamkpa, Biase, Obubra, Obanliku and Obudu local government areas.

Further investigation into this ecocide, reveals that those who try to stop these loggers are often exposed to strong resistance and threats to life, sometimes leading to loss of life while some are beaten and abandoned with serious injuries. Findings also showed the collaborative role of some security officers and community heads. They play a paramount role in facilitating illegal logging activities in their communities. Notwithstanding, during the media forest-tour, Governor Ayade said is unaware of the incessant logging activity going on in the state, and promised to put an end to it.

There is an urgent need for the relevant agencies of the state to carry out further investigation in these areas with a view to exposing the hidden activities of such illegal loggers so as to reduce the menace and bring offending parties to book. This will facilitate restoration and conservation of the degraded dry lands with 80 per cent possibility of increased food production as well as peace-building in the affected areas.

Furthermore, as part of the solution to land degradation and abuse of natural resources, community members need to be educated on the dangers of deforestation, which has contributed greatly to land degradation and a spike in poor harvest, leading to food shortage in the country. Engagement of indigenes in addressing land restoration should be adopted even as communities should be empowered to revamp their lands and cooperate with the government in effecting necessary reforestation measures, including tree planting and sustainable environmental practices.

Earlier, in a piece entitled Let us Re-green our Mindscape, Tony Rinaudo of GLFAfrica 2021 had averred: “Empowering communities is one of the basic necessary tools needed to facilitate dry land restoration because they are custodians of the land and, also, empowerment is an antidote to reverse community’s negative involvement towards dry land.”

•Okorie, an environmental activist, is a fellow of Global Landscape Forum Africa 2021.

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