The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has called on state governments overseeing Nigeria’s biosphere reserves to strengthen biodiversity conservation through eco-friendly and sustainable livelihood initiatives.
We gathered that Dr. Jean-Paul Abiaga, UNESCO’s Representative in Nigeria and Head of the Abuja Office, made the call on Tuesday during a Biodiversity Business Training programme organised for communities surrounding the Omo Biosphere Reserve in Ogun State.
Abiaga emphasised that conservation lies at the heart of UNESCO’s mission, noting that the goal is to preserve biodiversity while empowering local communities to engage in sustainable, environmentally conscious economic ventures.
“What the communities expect from UNESCO is to scale up what has already started in this community and in other reserves.
“We want to show that it is possible to preserve biodiversity while sustaining livelihoods.
“We want this example scaled at the state levels and across Nigeria,” he said.
The UNESCO representative highlighted that balancing human livelihood needs with conservation remains one of the biggest challenges in biodiversity management. He explained that the organisation’s biodiversity business project is designed to help communities adopt sustainable practices that reduce environmental harm while turning them into active conservation partners.
Abiaga further noted that the initiative aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation, and also addresses climate change concerns.
“We are currently training 10 different communities in Ogun State, especially those living near the Omo Biosphere Reserve in piggery and sustainable fish farming.
“With this, they will be able to earn green income while reducing activities such as illegal wood cutting, destructive fishing practices, poaching and other actions that degrade the environment.
“This directly relates to several SDGs, including SDG 6 on water resources. Overall, this is a comprehensive programme that addresses multiple SDGs that the international community has committed to achieve by 2030,” he added.
