FUTA DON VICTOR ADEKUNLE ADVOCATES ADHERENCE TO FORESTRY LAWS
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FUTA DON VICTOR ADEKUNLE ADVOCATES ADHERENCE TO FORESTRY LAWS
…As Ondo Foresters mark 2025 International Forests Day
A Don, Professor Victor Adekunle has advocated the regulation of demand for wood, emphasizing the need for adherence to forestry laws.
This call to action was made during the International Forests Day celebration, held on March 21, 2025, with the theme “Forests and Food.”
The global event aims to raise awareness about the importance of forests and trees in sustaining life including human beings.
In Ondo State, foresters in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry marked the occasion with an awareness road walk from the Akure City Hall to the Governor’s Office at Alagbaka, encouraging residents to plant trees and promote forest production.
The Chairman of the occasion who also doubles as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Chief Olusegun Odusanya, represented by Mr. Oluwagbenga Akingbasote, mni the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Forestry, emphasized the alarming rate of wood demand, stressing the urgent need to regulate wood consumption.
He said forests and trees play a crucial role in human existence, highlighting their roles in consuming carbon dioxide and producing oxygen for other living things.
Professor Victor Adekunle, guest lecturer and expert in Forestry and Wood Technology from the Federal University of Technology (FUTA), explained that forests provide numerous benefits, including food, water, medicine, and livelihoods, supporting billion of people worldwide.
He emphasized that farming activities can coexist with forest conservation, producing sustainable food without destroying the forest ecosystem.
Professor Adekunle urged the government to uphold the integrity of gazetted forest reserves, stressing that these areas should not be compromised for farming activities or estate development, noting that cropping can occur anywhere with adequate farming inputs.
He emphasized that trees, however, require specific conditions to thrive.
The expert called on relevant agencies to ensure strict adherence to forest protection laws and appealed to the government to demonstrate the political will to safeguard forest reserves.
The event also featured goodwill messages from notable stakeholders, including Prof. Adedayo Adesoji, Chairman of the Forestry Association of Nigeria (FAN) Ondo State chapter, and Alhaji Mashood Obadun, South West Coordinator of FAN.
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