The United Nations said it will provide technical support to Nigeria to tackle deforestation in the country.

Amina Mohammed, the UN deputy secretary general, said this during a visit to the Nigeria Forestry Institute in Ibadan during the week.

Mohammed, Nigeria’s former environment minister and current chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, said there is evidence that poverty is one of the reasons Nigerians depend on forest resources for survival. cooking and other forms of survival.

She added that the UN is working to ensure that governments at all levels implement the right reforestation strategies.

“Our visit to Ibadan was a response to see how the United Nations can help the government to increase forest cover,” she said.

“This is of course a very big challenge given that there are still levels of poverty that force people to use a lot of forest carbon to survive.

“We are eager to see how we can continue to expand the strategy; how we can encourage our governments and how we can encourage our local government presidents and the private sector so that forest cover becomes what can help us maintain the planet and not lose it due to massive emissions, biodiversity and pollution.

She also commended the measures taken by Nigeria to maintain and improve forest resources.

“Keep flying the flag. International partnerships are important because here you want to attract investment. Where they know there is capacity, there would be investment. It is encouraging to see that Nigeria is taking the lead and supporting other African countries, ”she added.

In his remarks, Olusola Adepoju, the director general of FRIN, appreciated the UN visit, adding that the institute would work on the necessary areas where improvements are needed.