Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, on Thursday, March 26, 2026, raised concerns over accelerating global deforestation, revealing that an estimated 10 million hectares of forests are lost every year.
Ezemonye raised the concern during activities marking the International Day of Forests at the university in Edo State.
According to him, the level of deforestation poses far-reaching environmental and socio-economic threats.
Ezemonye said that Nigeria was not insulated from the trend, citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which ranked the country among those with the highest deforestation rates in Africa.
“The consequences of this loss are grave,” he said, pointing to rising cases of flooding, desertification, ecosystem collapse, displacement of communities and the worsening impacts of climate change.
Describing the annual observance as more than ceremonial, Ezemonye said it should serve as a rallying point for urgent action.
He added that universities must play a central role as “custodians of knowledge and incubators of solutions.”
The V-C reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to environmental sustainability, emphasising that it remained a core institutional value beyond academic discourse.
Also speaking, Edo State Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Mr. Nosa Adams, said forests must be protected as critical climate assets.
The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Victor Otamere, said “protecting the forests is protecting our lives.”
Adams said that the state government had taken steps to safeguard forest resources, including the establishment of the Edo Forestry Commission.
The Chairman of the Forestry Commission, Mr. Valentine Asuen, represented by Area Forest Officer for Ovia North East, Mrs. Joan Omosigho, acknowledged the mounting pressure on forest resources and urged Nigerians to take responsibility for its protection.
Earlier, the Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the university, Prof. Spencer Nwangwu, said that forests across the world were under intense threat from human activities.
Nwangwu listed the activities to include agricultural expansion, urbanisation and illegal logging.
He urged participants to move beyond rhetoric and commit to practical actions that would reverse environmental degradation.
The event, themed “Forests and Economies,” drew attention to the critical role forests play in sustaining livelihoods and supporting global economic systems.
By Usman Aliyu