Ogun State has been chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as one of four states in Nigeria to benefit from its new biodiversity project aimed at protecting the environment.
The Head of the UNESCO Office in Nigeria, Mr. Jean-Paul Abiaga, announced this during a visit to the Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
Abiaga explained that the $1 million project will help reduce poverty by supporting about 600 participants through training and support in education, forestry, and agriculture.
He said the project would be based in the Omo Biosphere Reserve, which covers Ijebu North and Ijebu East Local Government Areas. Other sites selected include the Oban Biosphere Reserve in Cross River State and the Shere Hills Reserve in Jos, Plateau State.
“The biodiversity project will help reduce poverty, protect nature, and promote sustainable development,” Abiaga said.
He added that 200 beneficiaries had already been selected, while more would be chosen from 10 communities in the two local governments. The project will support young people with technical, financial, and educational assistance to start or grow businesses in areas like piggery and fish farming.
In his remarks, Mr. Talabi thanked UNESCO for choosing Ogun State and for supporting the government’s efforts to stop deforestation and other illegal activities in the Omo Forest Reserve — a 130,500-hectare area rich in plants and animals, including over 200 types of trees, 125 bird species, and endangered animals like chimpanzees, forest elephants, and white-throated guenon monkeys.
He assured UNESCO that the state government would give full support to the project and work through its relevant ministries — including Forestry, Agriculture, and Education, Science and Technology — to ensure its success.
