The Ministry of Environment has embarked on boundary cleaning and fire tracing exercises of some Forest Reserves in State, as part of a comprehensive effort to restore and protect key forest reserves.
Speaking during the exercise, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna stated that the initiative reflected the state government’s commitment towards ensuring that all sectors of governance functioned well, and aligns with the policy direction of Governor Alex Chioma Otti (OFR), who emphasises that every arm of the administration must deliver tangible results.
According to the Commissioner, the ongoing work marks the beginning of a broader process that will include the re-surveying and re-gazetting of Forest Reserves across the state, thereby knowing the actual land demarcation between the government and communities.
He explained that proper documentation and mapping of Forest Reserves would enable the government to determine the current status of the forests, strengthen conservation measures and address the growing global challenge of climate change.
He noted that functional forest reserves are an important part of climate finance initiatives, adding that effective management of forest resources can contribute to environmental sustainability while opening opportunities for economic and ecological benefits.
Ogbonna also stressed that the government intends to discourage deforestation across the state.
The Director of Forestry, Ministry of Environment, Mr Ikpegbu John, who conducted officials around the project sites, said the boundary cleaning and fire tracing exercise serves several purposes, including strengthening government presence in host communities and improving forest management.
He explained that engaging local residents, particularly young people in the exercise, was a deliberate strategy designed to create community ownership of the forest reserves.
According to him, many youths from the communities were mobilised and employed during the exercise, giving them an opportunity to contribute directly to environmental protection while earning income.
The Director, who noted that some of the pillars that previously marked the forest boundaries had been removed, said the elders and youth from the host communities helped officials retrace the original limits of the forest reserves by relying on historical knowledge of the land..
He explained that tree planting initiatives would involve replacing degraded sections of the reserves with new seedlings to strengthen biodiversity and improve environmental resilience, stressing that the long term objective is to rebuild healthy forest ecosystems that can support climate adaptation strategies while generating potential revenue through global climate finance opportunities.
Community participation, he said, would remain central to the programme, with residents continuing to be engaged as labourers and partners in maintaining the reserves.
As the state government advances plans to restore its forest reserves, officials say the initiative represents an important step in balancing development, environmental protection and community participation.
