By Lanre Abgola
A group of professionals under the conservation subsector, have stressed the need for the collation of reliable data on the species of birds in the country to strengthen biodiversity.
The Director, Wildlife Disease Surveillance and Eco-system Health, in the Ministry of Life stock development, Dr. Alao Mitchell, stated this at a stakeholders meeting on citizen science advocacy in Conservation practices, in Abuja.
Dr. Mitchell urged Nigerians to engage in practices that are environment friendly.
He said the event was aimed at communicating citizen science data of the species for management and advocacy, noting that the data when generated will aid in making policies that will protect animals and humans.
A deputy director in the Ministry of Environment, Mr Aiwuyo Christopher, described birds as essential creatures who help in preserving the environment.
He explained that Nigeria has about 975 species of birds which help in pest control, plant pollination and also spread seeds.
The Executive Director of a Non-governmental organization, Mr Hope Useita, said the organization is in partnership with the Federal Government as well as some states and other organizations to train Youths and farmers in farming and other relevant skills for self reliance.
On her part, the manager of the Nigerian Birds Atlas project, Mrs Talatu Tende, said the objective of the project is to raise awareness about the importance of birds within the environment and understand how growth in human population is affecting their population and distribution around the country.
The head of Africa office, Tropical Biology Association in Kenya, Mr Anthony Kuria, while sharing his country’s conservation strategies, said the Government of Kenya invests hugely in the wildlife sector which is one of its top revenue earner.
