Environmental stakeholders have warned that degradation, poor housing and unsustainable development practices pose serious threats to public health, food security and Nigeria’s long-term development.
They called for stronger environmental policies, responsible natural resource management and greater collaboration among government, businesses, researchers and communities to protect the country’s ecosystems.
The stakeholders spoke at the public presentation of People, Nature and Environment: Pathways to Sustainable Development, authored by environmentalist and researcher Dr Abba Maigida.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by Taiwo Ojelabi, said sustainable management of forests, water bodies, vegetation and other natural resources was essential to food production and environmental preservation.
He urged Nigerians to abandon activities that degrade the environment and embrace responsible resource utilisation to protect livelihoods and future generations.
The chairman of the occasion, retired Major General Alwali Kazir, identified climate change, deforestation, pollution, biodiversity loss and resource depletion as major environmental challenges facing the country.
He warned that desertification, shrinking water resources and land degradation could worsen food insecurity, displacement, economic hardship and insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Kazir called for practical measures, including land restoration, renewable energy adoption, improved water management, environmental education and stronger governance.
The author, Maigida, said the book was inspired by more than two decades of public service and observations of environmental destruction across different parts of Nigeria.
He recalled witnessing gully erosion destroying homes, roads and farmlands in eastern Nigeria, desert encroachment threatening livelihoods in the North and recurring floods displacing families in the Middle Belt.
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He also highlighted the environmental pressure created by rapid urbanisation in cities such as Abuja and Lagos, particularly on housing and infrastructure.
Maigida said the 21-chapter book, which took more than seven years to complete, drew on field observations, research and engagements with farmers, fishermen, traditional rulers, environmental professionals and public servants.
The publication examines environmental sustainability, housing, human development, climate change, natural resource management, community development and public policy.
He warned that failure to address environmental challenges would endanger future generations and urged professionals, citizens and political leaders to make environmental protection a priority ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reviewing the book, Professor Ishaya Sunday of the University of Abuja described it as an interdisciplinary work linking environmental protection with human welfare, governance and sustainable development.
He highlighted its coverage of biodiversity conservation, water and food security, waste management, ecosystem restoration, climate adaptation, sustainable cities and green innovation.
Sunday also identified frameworks developed by the author, including the Maigida Integrated Sustainability Framework and the Maigida Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Framework.
Similarly, the FCT Head of Service, Nancy Sabanti, represented by Dr Andrew Zakari, said climate change, deforestation, rapid urbanisation, inadequate housing and environmental degradation threatened public health and national development.
She called for collective action involving government agencies, businesses, research institutions, communities and individuals.
Retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, also stressed the need for stronger grassroots environmental protection, recalling how development activities had nearly destroyed a stream in his community.
A representative of Zenith Bank Group Managing Director, Dr Adaora Umeoji, said economic growth must go hand in hand with environmental responsibility, urging financial institutions to consider environmental and social impacts in their lending and investment decisions.
The Head of Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Baze University also warned against indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, citing deforestation, industrial pollution, and destruction of vegetation as threats to communities and ecosystems.
