As the need to promote conservation message becomes more important in the face of the world battling the effect of COVID-19, and in order to prevent another pandemic through zoonotic disease, International and local NGOs embarked on vulture conservation awareness campaign in Africa. The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), a leading environmental NGO in Nigeria commemorated the International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) across the nation through webinars hosted on five different days. Dr. Joseph Onoja, Director of Technical programmes, NCF, in his presentation revealed that nature has bestowed on us vultures as environmental sanitary officers. A vulture can offer a clean-up service worth $11,200 in its lifetime. He emphasised, “Without vultures, humans are vulnerable to the spread of infectious diseases, because, in the absence of vultures, dogs and rats become the clean-up crew. The danger in this is that these animals are not equipped for such and are close to human population, exposing us to diseases.” In his presentation, Mr. Aniekan-Abasi Emmah Uwatt, a conservation biologist and ornithologist, observed that human activities are the major drivers to the vultures’ threatened status. He added that the world could suffer from negligence if something drastic is not done to preserve the remaining vulture…
The Federal Government of Nigeria and ECOWAS CEDEAO hosted the first ECOWAS Regional Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) consultation on Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework on 10th-11th August, 2020 through a webinar. The priorities for the consultation was centred on Biodiversity in the African continent with the hope of mobilizing regional effort to deliver biodiversity protection and resource mobilization towards achieving the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The Regional Consultation with the theme “Strengthening the African Position Ahead of the Open-Ended Working Group-3 (OEGW-3) Meeting” was declared opened by Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar, the Honourable Minister of the Environment. In his statement, he said that the African continent is experiencing catastrophic biodiversity loss resulting from human-induced threats arising from unsustainable management practices. One of the African sub-region mostly impacted by this biodiversity loss is West Africa, having witnessed substantial economic loss because of this. These losses are becoming irreversible with the rate at which biodiversity is being decimated, habitat converted or degraded, deforestations across the sub-region is among the highest in the world, increased uncontrolled farmland expansion, illegal wildlife trade, etc. He said, “The livelihood of West Africans is being threatened daily due to unsustainable practices, strong biodiversity policy and laws but…
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) through its Environmental Education Unit has just concluded a two (2) weeks open free virtual summer school for children and teenagers ages 5yrs to 17 held from 11th to 20th August, 2020. The purpose of the virtual school was to engage the children and teenagers during the lockdown in environmental education and prepare them as ambassadors for environmental conservation. NCF since its inception has been keen on environmental education for school children up to tertiary institutions level. This has necessitated its establishment of Conservation Clubs in schools and Bird Clubs in the communities across the nation. Mrs. Bidemi Balogun, Head Environmental Education in sharing her experience opined that the school has revealed that learning is not restricted to the physical classroom for children. This is the new normal everybody has to embrace going forward. She said “The NCF Eco Summer School was set up in continuation of the conservation club activities, the idea came up as a result of the pandemic that has placed a restriction on large gathering especially children. The 2 weeks have been fun with the children, their participation was highly encouraging and impressive. We had exciting activities with them. Some of…
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) through its Environmental Education Unit is organizing a two (2) weeks free virtual summer camp for children and teenagers ages 5yrs to 17 from 11th 21st August, 2020. The essence of the virtual camping is to engage the children and teenagers during the lockdown in environmental education and prepare them as ambassadors for environmental conservation. NCF since its inception has been keen on environmental education for school children up to tertiary institutions level. This has necessitated its establishment of Conservation Clubs in schools and Bird Clubs in the communities across the nation. The camping promises to be educative and interactive as loads of exciting packages such as birdwatching, butterfly collection, biodiversity, green cooking and arts & craft and more are some of the aspects of the environment that the participants will be exposed to. It also being envisaged that since most participants will be making use of their parents’’ devices, such parents too will be learning alongside their wards. Whatsapp and Google Classroom platforms will be used to engage the participants. To join, click the link below: https://chat.whatsapp.com/JRqedq9pDiH1LLZmU2GDLq
The Federal Government and ECOWAS CEDEAO will be hosting the first ECOWAS Regional CBD consultation on Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework on 10th-11th August, 2020 through a webinar. The priorities for the consultation will be centred on Biodiversity in the African continent with the hope of mobilizing regional effort to deliver biodiversity protection and resource mobilization towards achieving the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The Regional Consultation with the theme “Strengthening the African Position Ahead of the OEGW-3 Meeting” will be declared opened by Dr. Muhammed Mahmood, the Honourable Minister of the Environment. While Mrs. Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biodiversity and Chief Sharon Ikeazor, Honourable Minister of State on Environment will deliver statements. This Consultation is being organized with the technical and financial support of Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) respectively. As part of the Regional Consultation, all ECOWAS Member States will have the opportunity to reach a common position towards the protection, restoration, and preservation of biodiversity across West Africa. Although the Regional Consultation is a CBD Party-driven discussion, it will also give an opportunity for selected development partners, Intergovernmental Organizations and environmental NGOs like African Union Commission; African Development Bank;…
In a bid to contribute to the fight against coastal erosion in Lagos, Rotary International through Rotary Club Ikoyi Metro in collaboration with Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) engaged in tree planting and beach clean-up activities at the Alpha Beach, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Over 50 seedlings of coconut trees (cocos nucifera) were planted along the sea shore to cushion the effect of sea surge that constantly wash off the sands at the beach. The promotion of a sustainable environment is part of the projects the Club is embarking on to contribute to national development. The community people who dwell at the bay welcomed members of the club and NCF staff to the beach and joined in the activities. Dr. Joseph Onoja, the Director of Technical Programme, NCF while addressing the participants mentioned that through the satellite imagery, it was discovered that some communities and a road network that was originally at the beach had been washed off due to water rise level within the last 15years. Urging stakeholders to salvage the situation to avoid further damage to the remaining communities. He said “In 2018, NCF conducted a research that revealed that if…
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