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Activists Condemn Nigeria’s Natural Resources Exploitation, Finger Govt

Published

1 month ago

July 23, 2025

Environmental activists have criticized multinational corporations for massively exploiting Nigeria’s natural resources under the guise of investment.

They also criticized Nigerian government for giving the multinational corporations to exploit Nigeria’s natural resources at the detriment of the communities.

The activists made their views known in Tuesday at a Forest Carbon Dialogue held in Benin, and attended by civil society organizations, community leaders and other stakeholders.

The event was organized by Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Network—a coalition of African civil society organisations, grassroots movements, activists, and individuals committed to environmental justice across the continent.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), criticised several Nigerian state governments for carelessly signing away forest reserves to foreign interests without due consideration for the long-term environmental and socio-cultural consequences.

He alleged that grown interest of multinational corporations in Africa’s forests is largely driven by the global carbon credit market.

“Carbon credits allow corporations to continue emitting greenhouse gases elsewhere while claiming to offset those emissions through conservation efforts in the Global South.

“Nigeria’s forests are under heavy assault. About 90% of our forests have already been degraded. Even our protected forest areas are not spared—they’re being targeted by illegal miners, loggers, and other exploitative actors,” Dr. Bassey lamented.

He emphasized that forest ecosystems are far more than just trees.

“Each tree supports its own micro-ecosystem. Cutting down a single tree disrupts an entire web of life. Unfortunately, many governments and corporations now view forests not as life-giving ecosystems but merely as carbon stockpiles to trade for profit.”

Dr. Bassey revealed that in Niger State alone, 750,000 hectares have been signed away for carbon trading, while a Brazilian company has acquired 1.2 million hectares for meat production—actions he said amount to massive deforestation and displacement of local communities.

He added that similar deals are being pursued in Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States, where governments are promoting such arrangements as investments and signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with foreign firms.

“These are not investments; they are systematic handovers of our territories to corporations interested only in carbon. Carbon trading is a false solution. It does not address the root causes of the climate crisis,” he asserted.

Dr. Bassey advocated for forest governance led by indigenous communities, arguing that they are the true custodians of biodiversity and holders of valuable ecological knowledge.

He condemned the trend of converting forests into monoculture plantations, describing it as a colonial legacy that undermines biodiversity and depletes ecological resilience.

He called for heightened public consciousness and vigilance to resist the commodification of Nigeria’s forests by multinationals and complicit state actors.

In her presentation titled “Community Science as Real Solutions – Why We Must Say No to REDD”, Interim Administrator, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Rita Uwaka, echoed the call for grassroots mobilisation.

She urged communities to resist efforts to erode their traditional knowledge and cultural identities through schemes that convert forests into commercial plantations.

“Forests are more than trees. They are cultural landscapes. Community protection of forests is key to safeguarding biodiversity and climate resilience,” Uwaka noted.

In his contribution during question & answer session, Omobude Agho, Coordinator General, Edo Civil Society Organisation called all and sundry to rise against every activity work against nature.

The dialogue also featured a panel session that emphasized the need for indigenous integration in global climate solutions.

News

ITF Warns Organisations, Employers Against Rejection Of IT Students

Published

5 hours ago

September 4, 2025

Editor

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has warned organisations and employers nationwide against rejecting students seeking attachment for their Industrial Training (IT) exercises.

ITF Area Manager in Bauchi, Dr Ashore Paul, issued the warning on Thursday during the orientation exercise for prospective IT students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.

Represented by Mrs Nanzem Yilshuut, Head of Training at the ITF Bauchi Area Office, Paul said that “the act establishing the Fund mandates every organisation to accept students for industrial attachment.”

He further stated that any employer or organisation found in breach of these provisions was liable to conviction and sanctions.

Paul also urged the prospective IT students to adhere to the rules and regulations of any organisation they joined and to be willing to learn and fulfill their responsibilities.

“When these students come back, we expect that there is a difference.

“They should have learned something new because definitely, what they learned in school, would be expected to be put into practicals.

“This will help them in their academics and also assist them in their future endeavours.

“They must participate 100 per cent, they must be disciplined and they must be willing to learn.

“We go round to ensure that they are doing what they are expected to do at their places of attachment.

“When we go for supervision, we ensure that what they are learning is in line with their courses,” he said.

The Rector of the institution, Sani Usman, said that the industrial attachment was an activity that enabled polytechnics to fulfill their mandate as technology and skill-driven institutions.

“Our students are given industrial experience during their first year so as to be registered in their minds that all of them are meant to be skilled class men and women and that is why the industrial attachment is very important.

“It enables them to build on what they have learned in their respective classrooms and practicals during the year,” he said.

Usman emphasised the importance of proper supervision during industrial training.

According to him, it will ensure students not only attend their placements but also carry out their assigned tasks effectively.

“The supervision is also to see that the employers or the places they have been sent to do their Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) do not exploit them to the level that is not required by the institution”, he said.

He further revealed that 3,000 students across all departments in the institution were going for this year’s SIWES.

News

Smokers Risk Cardiac Arrest, Expert Warns

Published

6 hours ago

September 4, 2025

Editor

A Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, in the department of surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Prof Eyo Ekpe has warned cigarettes smokers and patients with diabetes to take adequate of their chest in order not to fall a victim of cardiac arrest .

He said that these health conditions trigger certain types of abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias responsible for sudden cardiac arrest.

Professor Ekpe gave the warning on Wednesday while delivering the 117th Inaugural Lecturer of the University of Uyo, titled “My Chest! My Chest!! My Chest!!!: Relieving Chest Pain, Preventing Death and Restoring Health”

He disclosed that many Nigerians have died for ignoring cardiac arrest triggers, preventing them, or seeking late medical attention to chest related ailments.

“Chest pain should not be ignored. Symptom of chest pain that is reported early would afford the clinician the opportunity to obtain adequate medical history from the person, medically examine the person thoroughly, optimally conduct the necessary laboratory tests to unravel the cause, and apply an evidence based treatment modality to relieve the chest pain, prevent death and restore heath.

“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent heart attack. Cigarette should not be smoked, high blood pressure should be prevented or controlled, diabetes mellitus should be prevented or controlled, and high blood cholesterol and lipoprotein should be prevented or controlled. A culture of regular physical exercise must be intentionally domesticated.

“People should guard their heart diligently to prevent cardiac arrest. Causes and triggers of arrhythmias should be prevented by preventing stress, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, coronary artery disease and electrolyte disorders, and avoiding cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse,” he stated.

Ekpe said medical consultation for chest problems should be with qualified medical doctors to avoid misdiagnosis, wrong treatment and complications, adding that regular medical checks and timely reports of symptoms of ailments must be prioritised.

“Safe-driving habit and road safety must be taken as a serious business. Seat restrained-belt should be used by all occupants of moving vehicles.

“Bicycles, motorcycles and tricycles should not ply traffic-congested roads. All victims of chest pain and chest injuries must be attended to by qualified medical doctors in a timely manner,” he advised.

News

FirstBank’s Digital Banking Channels Suffers Downtime

Published

7 hours ago

September 4, 2025

Editor

FirstBank has suffered a temporary disruption to its major digital banking channels, which will prevent some customers from completing transactions.

In a notice issued on Thursday, the bank said the downtime is affecting services on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and its *894# USSD platforms.

“Please be informed that we are currently experiencing some downtime affecting transactions to other banks on FirstMobile, FirstOnline, and USSD platforms. Customers may therefore experience delayed or declined transactions,” the circular read.

The bank apologised for the inconvenience and assured customers that its technical team, working with partner service providers, is making every effort to restore full services as quickly as possible.

The disruption occurred less than two months after FirstBank introduced facial biometric authentication on its FirstMobile app, designed to enhance the customer experience and security.