Abuja – January 9, 2024 – Viewpoint Housing News.
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has urged Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to stop property developers from invading Magodo wetlands and issued a warning against their destruction.
To prevent future deterioration of wetlands and aid in their restoration, NCF Director General Dr. Joseph Onoja advocated for early action such as raising awareness and restoring habitats as well as improving livelihoods.
“NCF considers this as insensitive and lacks understanding of the important role that wetlands play,” Onoja stated in response to reports of the wetlands being cleared. “We call on the agency of government responsible for protecting the wetlands to swing into action to stop the destruction.”
“Therefore, we request to give our advice on the risks associated with destroying or deteriorating wetlands in our environment from the state’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, which employs experts in ecology and conservation.”
“Protecting wetlands can protect our safety and welfare,” he said, emphasising the importance of wetlands for people and the environment as well as the necessity to maintain and conserve them. The subject of this year’s Wetland Day emphasises how critical it is to give wetland restoration first priority in order to prevent the disappearance of wetlands worldwide.
He stated that, the NCF has been in the forefront of energising support, drawing attention, and swaying decisions in favour of Nigeria’s wetlands conservation and protection. “The foundation keeps working harder to make sure that wetlands aren’t viewed as waste land.
Wetlands are a globally distributed, dynamic kind of aquatic environment. It is a section of land that is submerged in water, either all the time or only sometimes. It may be salty, brackish, or freshwater. Wetlands may function as biological supermarkets, producing large amounts of food that draw many animal species. Wetlands are an integral aspect of the life cycle of many creatures. It offers benefits that no other environment can match. Improvement of the natural water quality, flood prevention, coastline, erosion management, and possibilities are a few of these.
