CALABAR— Civil society organisations have called for an urgent and comprehensive amendment of the Cross River State Forestry Law (2010), warning that the state has already lost more than 60 per cent of its original forest cover NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
The demand was made on Tuesday during a media briefing in Calabar where stakeholders formally presented a policy report titled “Recommended Reviews of the Cross River State Forestry Law, 2010.” The report is the outcome of six months of consultations involving community representatives, academics, lawyers, conservationists and legislative experts convened by a coalition including We the People, Panacea for Developmental and Infrastructural Challenges for Africa Initiative (PADIC-Africa), Biodiversity Rescue Club, An Association of Lawyers, Umo Isua-Ikoh Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF), Cross River State Civil Society Network, The Rights Academy, Onyx Community and Development Foundation, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Green Planet Initiative International (GPII), Centre For Rights, Advocacy and Popular Participation (CRAPP), P4SEDI, Uyo Iban Amplifier Initiative (UIAI), Boki Biodiversity Conservation Foundation (BBC Foundation), Policy Alert, and the Conservation Association of the Mbe Mountains, among others.
Presenting the report, the group described Cross River as home to Nigeria’s largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest ecosystem, forming a critical part of the remaining Lower Guinean rainforest belt in West Africa. The forests, they said, regulate climate systems, protect watersheds, sustain forest-dependent communities and serve as vital carbon sinks.
Despite this ecological significance, stakeholders warned that deforestation has continued at an alarming rate.
“Cross River State has lost over 60 percent of its original forest cover. Large areas that were once dense rainforest have become degraded lands and grasslands,” the presenters stated, adding that thousands of logs are extracted daily through both legal and illegal channels.
They identified illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development and weak enforcement mechanisms as key drivers of forest decline.
According to the group, the existing forestry law, enacted in 2010, no longer reflects current environmental, economic and governance realities. They argued that climate change pressures, evolving forest crimes and Nigeria’s international climate commitments necessitate a modern legal framework.
The report proposes aligning forest governance with climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, including large-scale afforestation and reforestation programmes. It also calls for positioning the state to benefit from global carbon financing mechanisms.
Stakeholders further recommended stronger penalties for forest crimes, noting that existing sanctions are too weak to serve as deterrents. They cited instances where offenders allegedly pay minimal fines and continue illegal activities.
The report also seeks clearer institutional mandates, improved inter-agency coordination and greater transparency in licensing processes to strengthen forest governance.
In addition, the group emphasised the economic potential of conservation, particularly in ecotourism. They argued that protecting forests could generate revenue, create jobs and attract investment if supported by appropriate legal frameworks.
A central recommendation of the policy brief is the inclusion of indigenous and forest-dependent communities in forest governance. The report calls for co-management arrangements, recognition of traditional knowledge systems and community-based monitoring mechanisms.
“Reforming the Forestry Law is not merely about protecting trees. It is about protecting biodiversity, livelihoods, climate stability and the economic future of Cross River State,” the stakeholders said, according to a joint statement endorsed by the coalition’s steering committee, which also includes all 16 participating organisations: We The People, PADIC-Africa, Biodiversity Rescue Club, An Association of Lawyers, Peace Point Development Foundation, Cross River State Civil Society Network, The Rights Academy, Onyx Community and Development Foundation, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Green Planet Initiative International, Centre For Rights, Advocacy and Popular Participation, P4SEDI, Uyo Iban Amplifier Initiative, Boki Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Policy Alert, and the Conservation Association of the Mbe Mountains.
They urged the Cross River State Government and the House of Assembly to prioritise legislative action, describing the report as the beginning of a broader reform process.
With more than half of its forest resources already depleted, the group warned that incremental measures would be insufficient to halt further degradation, insisting that decisive legal reforms are needed to safeguard one of Nigeria’s most valuable ecological assets for future generations.
