President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the green light for the establishment of a national forest guard system, aimed at securing the country’s 1,129 forest reserves from terrorists and criminal gangs.
The initiative, which is a collaborative effort between the federal and state governments, will see thousands of young Nigerians employed as forest guards.
The forest guards will undergo rigorous training and will be equipped with firearms to enable them to tackle security challenges in the forests effectively.
The Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Environment will oversee the recruitment and training process, ensuring that the forest guards are well-trained and effective in their duties.
The objective of this initiative is to reclaim Nigeria’s forests from terrorists and criminal gangs who have been using them as hideouts for their nefarious activities. President Tinubu has vowed that his administration will not surrender any part of the country’s territory to criminals, and this initiative is a key step towards achieving that goal.
The recruitment process is expected to begin soon, with details on application and training to be jointly released by the supervising agencies. This initiative is part of the Tinubu administration’s broader strategy to address the root causes of insecurity while providing employment opportunities for the country’s teeming youth population.
