The World Bank has called on Nigeria to protect its remaining rainforests in Cross River State as part of the global effort to reduce climate change.

The call is coming a week after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Paris agreement on climate change.

“Among the measures that Nigeria has pledged to take, is to play its part by contributing to climate change mitigation through the protection of the forest. As Nigeria’s technical and financial partner, we want to ensure that the activities are being implemented,” said the Practice Manager for Environment at the World Bank, Benoit Bosquet, during a courtesy visit to the Cross River State governor.

According to him, it is important that the forests in Cross River State are properly managed and protected as a contribution to the global effort to mitigate climate change currently faced by humans.

Commenting on the development, Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, explained that the frequent cutting down of trees exposes the soil to direct harshness of the sun which in turn dries up the micronutrients in the soil and slow the growth of plants.

In this regard, the government plans to launch a Reducing Emission, Deforestation and Forest Degradation programme (REDD+), aimed at ensuring the protection of the forest in the state, which houses about 60% of the entire natural forest in the country.

“At the implementation phase, the communities will then have a project, a contract, a salary by planting, maintaining and nursing trees,” Ayade added.

Anita Fatunji