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96 J.L. Pol'y & Globalization 1 (2020)

handle is hein.journals/jawpglob96 and id is 1 raw text is: Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization wwis:etorg ISSN 2224-3240 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3259 (Online) - Vol.96, 2020 1151E Environmental Law and the Reality of the Conservation and Management of Forests in Nigeria Dr Williams Adewumi Adebayo Department of Business and Industrial Law, Faculty of Law, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Abstract Degradation of Forest lands and resources in Nigeria by anthropogenic factors has continued unabated in Nigeria with severe implications for environmental protection and sustainable development. Forest lands serve as the habitat for wide variety of fauna and flora which provide support for lives on the earth planet. Forests in Nigeria require adequate protection to enable people benefit maximally from the gifts of nature. This paper examined the extent and effectiveness of measures for the conservation and management of forest lands and resources in Nigeria. The data for this study were obtained primarily from both international and international legal frameworks. Journal articles, text books, newspapers and the internet provide the secondary source of information. Conservation and management of forest lands and resources in Nigeria pre-date the colonial era in some of the southern states with forests. Traditional means of protection by the designation of forests as sacred proved more potent than the use of legal instruments. In effect today, conservation and management of forests are in the actual practice limited to government owned parks, thus leaving natural forests open to assault. Keywords: Forests, conservation, deforestation, waterfowl, ecosystem etc. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/96-01 Publication date: April 30th 2020 1. Introduction Forest lands and resources play invaluable role in the existence of man on the earth planet. Forest lands and resources are one of the features that make the earth planet unique among the planetary systems. Forest lands serve as the habitation for species of plants, animals and microbes. Forest ecosystem, that is, the interconnectedness of plants, animals and microbes with the environment ensure that the forests continue to serve as natural air filters as well as water factories and source of raw materials for both orthodox and traditional medicine. Nigeria is richly endowed with abundant forest lands and resources which are located across both the northern and southern parts of Nigeria respectively. There is, however, a marked difference between the forest lands in the northern part of Nigeria and the forests in the southern part. The forest lands in the northern part are located within the savannah and Sahel region with sparse timbre resources while the forest in the southern part is located within the lowland rainforest areas with array of timbre resources. Forest lands in Nigeria can be classified as forest reserves, free areas and conservation areas. The Forest Reserves are owned by the state governments and managed by the Forestry Departments in the respective States. The permission of the government is required for the exploitation of trees in the reserves. The Free Areas are forest lands that are not under the strict control or management of the government. Permission to harvest trees is also required in this area. The Conservation Areas include National Parks, Game Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Man and animals depend on resources from lands for survival. These resources have been greatly depleted by man in the search for the basic necessities of lives viz food, clothing and shelter. Legal Instruments have been put in place by governments for the conservation and management of forest lands and resources. There are also traditional means of protecting and conserving forest lands and resources before the advent of colonial administration, one of which was the designation of some forests as sacred and by so doing entry into such forests was strictly restricted to certain people while harvesting of forest products was completely prohibited. The governments have over the years introduced fiscal measures such as the annual tree planting campaign designed to reforest the environment. The extent at which the legal instruments and policies have assisted in the conservation of forests is the goal of this paper. Part one of this paper is the introduction while part two examined the Forests and patterns of degradation in Nigeria. The factors responsible for the degradation of forest lands are examined in part three while the legal frameworks for the conservation and management of forest lands and resources are discussed in part four. The reality of the conservation and management of forest lands and resources are discussed in part five and the last part is the conclusion. 2.0 Forests and Patterns of Degradation in Nigeria A Forest area is a large area of land with assorted trees, herbs, shrubs and all manner of vegetation and wildlife. The total land area of Nigeria is estimated to be 923,768 square kilometres. The two vegetation belts in Nigeria are the forests and the savannah. The forest lands in Nigeria are mainly located in the southern part of the country and it is estimated that the forests are inhabited by 4715 species of high plants; 899 species of birds, 53 amphibians 1

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