The Challenges of Deforestation and Management in Nigeria: Suggestions for Improvement

Abstract

This paper appraises the dangers posed to forests regions in Nigeria resulting from deforestation impacts. The country is deprived with socio-economic and environmental benefits due to the over exploitation of forests and land cover. Nigeria is losing steadily economic opulence, leaving her with hazard from erosion, flooding and desertification culminating into climate change. Like some tropical world regions, many people illegally engaged in export of log/wood, and get solace in unlawful taxes and illegitimate royalties which fetch them personal income from this repulsive job. This work employs a classical review in examining the challenges and poor management facing the economic forest regions in Nigeria. The main goal is centred on the pressures on the forest population leading to a number of causes like; urbanization, overpopulation and over expansion of agricultural lands. The work suggests that, the stakeholders and governments need to establish some laws and regulations that can check the indiscriminate felling of trees and degrading of the environment in Nigeria. Government is also advised to find alternative means of power generation and introduce modern farming techniques for the populace. The public enlightenment campaign is also imperative for citizenry in order to forestall dangers posed by un-restrained deforestation. Keywords: Environment, Deforestation, Illegitimate royalty, Degradation, Government