Diplomat tasks states on adoption of environmental policy

As the world marks the 2017 desertification day today, a former Nigeria ambassador to Israel, Belgium and Australia, Ayo Olukanni has urged the 36 states of the country to adopt and implement the new national policy on the environment, which he noted would go a long way in preventing various environmental challenges.

Olukanni gave the charge at a lecture organized by Fight Against Desert Encroachment; (FADE), an environmental NGO in collaboration with the United Nations Association of Nigeria (UNAN) and the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) to commemorate the 2017 desertification day and the world environment day in Lagos.

According to him a lot of work needs to be done as far as popularizing and wide dissemination of information and programmes which are in the policy.Olukanni who is also the Vice Chairman of FADE, explained that the whole concept of the world desertification day is to remind people of the need for advocacy on the challenges of desertification and embracing the idea of preservation and planting trees.

He stated that strengthening of the institutional arrangements at the Federal and State Levels, states developing its own environment policy inline with its peculiar environmental problems, establishment and strengthening of Environmental Studies Departments in Universities and linkage with the Ministries of Environment at State and Federal Level would advance sustainable environment in the country.

Gani Owolabi of United Nations Association of Nigeria noted that climate change is an indication of the challenges of the environment which could include; air pollution, land degradation, soil erosion amongst others. He therefore stressed that environment education was important for all.