Nigeria and the Government of the Republic of Cameroon have signed a cooperation framework on trans-boundary ecosystems conservation and sustainable management of forestry and wildlife resources.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, signed the agreement alongside the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Cameroon, Jules Ndongo, on Friday in Abuja.
The implementation of the agreement aims tAo supervise and coordinate identified areas of cooperation, ensure special protocols are consistent with identified areas of cooperation, collaborate in the implementation of common trans-boundary programmes, and develop the institutional and mobilisation of funds for the implementation of common transboundary programmes.
The 2023 wildlife chapter of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Organised Crime Threat Assessment for Nigeria found that Nigeria is a key transit hub and consolidation point for various forms of illegal trade in wildlife and forest products, especially for pangolin, ivory, and rosewood.
The UNODC said these products were sourced both from Nigeria as well as from other countries in the region, including Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Benin Republic.
In his keynote address, Lawal said Nigeria and Cameroon shared a common vision on the best approach towards the protection, conservation, and sustainable utilisation of natural resources.
He said apart from the global phenomenon of climate change and environmental challenges, social factors, including overpopulation, poverty, and food insecurity, have continued to immerse these resources to the brink of extinction.
He pledged that Nigeria would play its part in ensuring the successful implementation of the agreement.
On his part, Ndongo said there was a great deal of trade between the two countries, especially those living on either side of a common border, and some of the transactions involve the exploitation and marketing of timber, non-timber forest products, and bush meat.
