User:Shekinah19/sandbox

''1.2 Causes of Deforestation in Nigeria Over 70% of the population in Nigeria still rely on biomass for fuelwood a reality that has pushed the rate of deforestation to alarming levels – over half of the country’s primary forests has been cut down in the last 10 years exacerbated by rapid population growth. There are many factors that contributed to deforestation in Nigeria. They are as follows: 1.	Corruption: Corruption is a serious issue in Nigeria and contributes immensely to illegal logging by companies and forest officials (Global witness, 2013). Activities of illegal logging both for economic and household use lead to deforestation in Nigeria. According to Goncalves,  Panjer,  Greenberg  &  Magrath  (2012),  an  area  of forest  about  the  size  of  a  football  field  is  clear-cut  by  illegal  loggers  every  two  seconds. Illegal trading in timber and its products lead to massive economic losses and environmental damages (Transparency International, 2011). 2.	Demand for Wood Products: The rising demand  for  wood  products  has  made  the  forestry  lucrative  and  this invariably promotes illegal logging (Transparency international, 2011). Logging is said to be the first threat to existing tree population (Effects of Deforestation, 2010). Corruption is also observed at the level of government institutions, wealth and power due to harvesting of forest riches. Pathetically, all these  are  done  on  the  platform  of  short  term  economic  benefits. Lack of integrity and policy in the judiciary to checkmate illegal logging further promotes deforestation (Transparency International, 2011). 3.	Poverty: Poverty is also a strong factor in the issue of deforestation. Poverty leads to the felling and burning of trees for fuel. Charcoal produced from the burnt trees is sold for money to make ends meet. Also, the felled trees are also sold as timber; cleared land is used as pasture for livestock, plantations of communities and settlements (Terminski, 2012). Industrialization processes  along  side  with  oil  extraction  and  mining  lead  to deforestation also (Terminski, 2012). Paper products are made from trees also. Deforestation was a protective measure and deliberate activity during the war to open up closed up areas with trees which could have served as a hiding place for the enemies (Terminski, 2012). According to FOA, deforestation is common among populous nations like Nigeria. Increasing growth  in  population  and  demographic  pressure  contributes  immensely  to deforestation  processes  in  Nigeria. The most populous country in Africa is Nigeria with the population rate of 162.5 million (World Bank, 2011). This becomes a serious problem when increasing population combines with the high level of poverty. About 70 percent (105million) of Nigerians are now living below the poverty line (Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 2012, Sanusi, 2011). Overpopulation causes a corresponding increase in the construction of residential and public areas. This causes the soil to become loose and more susceptible to the possibility of running off and flooding (Effects of Deforestation, 2010). The outcome can be devastating. United Nations Environmental programme (UNEP) posited that Africans are suffering deforestation at the rate of two times of that of the world. 4.	Urbanisation: Lack  of awareness  on  the  adverse  effects  of  deforestation  has  caused  the  destruction  of  over  8.5 million hectares of tropical forest permanently  yearly for the  construction of buildings and new urban areas. This leads to uncontrollable and continuous destruction of forest resources. In Nigeria,  81%  of  the  original  forest  cover  is  removed  (Effects  of  Deforestation,  2010). Other causes  of  deforestation  in  Nigeria  include  clearing  of  forest  for  logging,  agricultural activities, felling of trees by rural dwellers for  sales as a means of sustenance due to poverty and  using  of  trees  as  wood  for  fuel  which  causes  serious  damages  with  an  end  result  of desertification. Human beings are the major contributory factors to the climate change which has become the new reality. Our activities  are  inimical  to  the  environment,  our  daily  work  and  behaviour domestically,  industrially  and  even  agriculturally  are  threatening  to  the  stability  of  the environment  as  well  as  the  balance  of  the  ecosystem (Wajim, 2020). We often  burn  bushes  to  farm,  we practice  agriculture  without  due  regard  to  the  environment. We cut/fell trees down without knowing that we are altering the eco- system and nature. All these human activities are threatening the nature and at the end, we are to face the consequences and are to be blamed. In line with the above statement. The poor citizenry resorts to poverty induced activities that lead to deforestation with all the  adverse  effects  notwithstanding  as  a  possible  way  out  of  their dilemma. Sad to observe that Nigerian leaders have failed to realize that the consequences of deforestation will not stop with the deprived/poor Nigerians but everyone. The basic cause of deforestation is human activity  which  is  not  without  direct  effects  on  human  life  (Nayak, 2008). Until the issue of poverty and corruption are addressed in Nigeria, an end might never come to activities that lead to deforestation. In order word, deforestation will continue to be a necessary reigning evil for the survival of the masses, until Nigerian government take a radical step by liberating the larger proportion of the people.