Nigeria on Wednesday made a significant move to halt biodiversity loss and reduce the degradation of high-biodiversity areas to near zero with the official validation of the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2025–2030.
The updated NBSAP serves as a comprehensive roadmap aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and outlines Nigeria’s vision for preserving its rich natural heritage over the next five years.
The validation was performed in Abuja by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, who was represented by the Director of the Forestry Department, Dr. Amah Moses. Speaking at the event, the Minister said the updated plan sets ambitious and wide-ranging targets aimed at transforming Nigeria’s biodiversity landscape.
He noted that “Target 1 alone will have a massive impact,” and added that the strategy captures Nigeria’s unique biodiversity, including its diverse ecosystems and endemic species, which are intricately linked to the country’s economy, ecology, and cultural identity.
“As is clearly articulated in the NBSAP, Nigeria is blessed with some of the richest biodiversity in Africa. This impressive biodiversity not only supports food security, healthcare, access to fresh water, and agriculture, but is also essential to the overall wellbeing of Nigerians,” Lawal stated.
He emphasised that protecting biodiversity is not only an environmental concern but a national priority, and that the plan aims to reduce biodiversity loss in critical areas to nearly zero. While acknowledging that the implementation of the NBSAP will be challenging, he expressed optimism that with dedication and collaboration among all stakeholders, the strategy’s goals can be achieved for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari, who was represented at the event, described the validation workshop as a crucial milestone in the country’s ongoing environmental conservation efforts. He noted that, in recent months, experts, policymakers, and stakeholders have worked diligently to review and refine the NBSAP to ensure its alignment with global best practices and national development priorities.
“As we come together today to validate this important document, we are reaffirming our collective commitment to transforming the NBSAP into actionable solutions,” he said.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), Joseph Ojo, underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in conserving biodiversity. He said biodiversity affects everyone and that both action and inaction have direct consequences for its preservation.
“Let us know that we are not doing the environment a favor, we are actually doing ourselves a favor. Because at the end of the day, the environment does not really need us; we need the environment,” Ojo stated.
