Climate change: Stakeholders converge in Abuja for draft REDD

Abuja – Stakeholders on climate change mitigation converged in Abuja on Monday to prepare a draft Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) Readiness Programme (REDD+).

Addressing the participants, Mr Simon Adedoyin, the facilitator from the Federal Ministry of Environment, said the workshop was necessary to seek the views of stakeholders in the review of the final draft copy of the programme.

“For REDD to succeed, it must have stakeholders participation with other ministries and key sectors in the country,

“In order to finalise the process, there is a need to present the public with the draft for review,” Adedoyin, Deputy Director of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment, said.

REDD is a reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation with inclusion of enhancement of forest carbon stocks, conservation and sustainable forest management.

REDD+ is a performance based mechanism that compensates countries for demonstrable and measurable gains in the reduction of carbon emissions from the forest

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the REDD programme will focus on Cross River State, which has more than 50 per cent of Nigeria’s tropical high forest.

Cross River State has also demonstrated the political leadership on forest conservation.

In his remarks, Mr Joseph Gari, UN-REDD Mission Team Leader, commended the success recorded by the Government of Cross River in forest conservation, saying it had attracted UN involvement.

“The development is irresistible and it has induced extra level of interest for the UN to be involved to make institutional arrangements for REDD in Nigeria.

Gari said that the success recorded from Cross River in the REDD programme had made Nigeria eligible to attract funding from the UN

He said REDD was about safeguarding biodiversity, reducing poverty and enhancing the livelihood of the people.

“If a country shows change in conservation and reducing carbon emission, there is compensation from REDD,” he said.

Also commenting on the workshop, the National REDD Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Salisu Dahiru, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the mitigation of climate change mitigation and forest conservation.
(NAN)