Buhari urges action on Ogoni land, food security


President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Ministry of Environment through the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria to play a very crucial role in the clean up of Ogoni land, especially in the re-establishment of the mangroves and restoration of the area to safeguard the lives of the people.

Buhari also directed FRIN to implement policies and programmes that would ensure safer environment and food security.



The Minister of Environment, Suleiman Hassan, made this known in Ibadan, Oyo State during his two-day visit to FRIN with top officials of the ministry on Friday.

Hassan directed FRIN “to re-calibrate its afforestation programme to ensure that there is an in-built mechanism to engage communities in the post-planting management of established afforestation projects across the country.”

Stressing the need to preserve the environment and assurance for food security and create jobs for the nation’s youths, the minister also urged FRIN to scale up its research efforts and training in addressing issues of gully erosion, using biological means, desertification, pollution control and climate change.

Hassan said the government identified FRIN as a strategic organisation towards the achievement of Nigeria’s afforestation targets. He added that the institute had demonstrated its capacity to deliver on the country’s commitment to the Paris agreement on climate change.

In his remarks, the Director-General of FRIN, Dr Adeshola Adepoju, thanked the minister for his passion and interest in the institute’s activities.

Adepoju said FRIN was one of five agencies in the ministry with a shared mandate on afforestation and land degradation control.

“There is no how we can work in silos or independent of the other four. That is why the honourable minister is here to see how we can work together to fast-track the expectation of Nigerians.”