Stakeholders in biodiversity conservation have emphasised that developing biodiversity-based enterprises across Nigeria’s biosphere reserves can enhance conservation efforts, foster South-South cooperation, generate income, and protect the environment for long-term sustainability.
They made this known during the ongoing Biodiversity Business training for 12 communities within the Oban Biosphere Reserve, hosted at the Cross River National Park in Akamkpa.
Biodiversity business refers to profit-making ventures that promote biodiversity protection, sustainable use of biological resources, and equitable benefit-sharing.
The training was held under the Nigeria-UNESCO Biodiversity Project, funded by the India-UN Development Partnership Fund and implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), and the National Park Service (NPS).
Dr. Zacharia Yaduma, Director-General of FRIN, said the initiative was designed to empower communities with sustainable livelihood options to reduce pressure on forest resources.
“These communities rely on forest products for food, energy, and income. Without viable alternatives, conservation efforts will be difficult to sustain. Providing income-generating opportunities will encourage them to preserve, rather than exploit, natural resources,” he said.
Yaduma noted that preserving forest reserves would also attract tourism and increase revenue for both local communities and the country.
Prof. Morenike Ojo, Head of the Elizabeth Ehi-Ebiewele Biodiversity Linkage Centre, FRIN, Ibadan, said biodiversity protection plays a vital role in tackling climate change and preserving ecosystems.
According to her, deforestation, industrialisation, and poor waste management contribute significantly to environmental degradation and climate disruptions affecting food security.
She advocated large-scale tree planting to restore degraded environments and maintain ecological balance.
Dr. Okeyoyin Agboola, a steering committee member and environmental conservation expert, highlighted the wide-ranging benefits of biodiversity, from food and medicine to ecosystem stability.
“Many rural households depend on forests for survival. Protecting these resources means securing livelihoods and ensuring national development through eco-tourism and foreign investment,” he said.
Also speaking, Prof. Raphael Offiong of the Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Calabar, described tropical rainforests as the planet’s lungs, vital to human existence.
“The loss of these forests would mark the beginning of human decline. They sustain us through oxygen, food, medicine, jobs, and social wellbeing,” Offiong said.
The biodiversity business project aims to alleviate poverty, support conservation-based enterprises, and strengthen Nigeria’s role in global biodiversity goals through community-led and environmentally responsible economic activities.
The week-long training features sessions on biodiversity entrepreneurship, environmental education, and practical modules in piggery, fish farming, and poultry-based biodiversity ventures.