The Need to Conserve Our Natural Resources in Nigeria

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In this post, I will try to communicate with you as simple as possible so that even a lay man can understand the concept of conservation. If you are an expert in conservation, we would be happy to hear from you. Your contributions and/or corrections would be highly acknowledged. 

Okay, let us get started.

If you look around you, you will notice that you are not the only one living where you are. You are being surrounded by multitudes and varieties of things—both living and non living things. Simply put, you are in a web.  These things share one thing or the other with you. For example, plants share oxygen with you. So do animals. In fact, no one can tell how many life forms are sharing this planet with us, humans. We have more than 70 millions of other life forms with us. These include varieties of plants, animals and micro organisms. What I just explained above is what is called Biodiversity or simply put, Biological Diversity.

Do you know that you as a man depend on plants and animals? Yes! You need them for food but not only that, these plants and animals are also needed for other important purposes. For example, we need plants to produce oxygen that we breathe and we need animals to produce carbon dioxide that the plants need in return. It is like a cycle. Also, we need water. In fact, there is no day that would go without man using water. Plants and animals do need water too. They need us to take care of them so as to continue yielding sustainable resources that we need. In short, we all need one another to survive. We all depend on one another. No one is independent—plants, animals, micro organisms and man. We all depend on one another for the well being of the ecosystem. An ecosystem has been defined as the interacting system of a biological community and its non-living surroundings.

Recent observations have shown that the several living resources which are supposed to maintain a balanced ecosystem had gone into extinction. Living resources for human survival are increasingly being destroyed or depleted. One of the factors responsible for this is the increase in population. There has been a sporadic increase in population growth rate in Nigeria. As at 1990, the Nigeria’s population was about 120 million and it has increased to more than 173.6 million this year.

Another factor is the advancement in science and technology. Even though this is a good one but it has resulted to damage of our natural resources in Nigeria. It has increased the ability of man to manipulate and exploit the natural resources of the earth. It has brought about the destruction of the environment at rate that is unprecedent in the history of man. 

Also, there has been sporadic increase in demand for natural resources in Nigeria due to the sudden rise in their economic potentials thus creating room for sudden over-exploitation.

Urbanization is another factor causing the depletion of our environment. Many Nigerians now live in urban areas thereby decreasing the number of rural dwellers.

There is therefore the need to conserve our natural resources in Nigeria for the present and future generations. This would help to maintain our biodiversity, environment, scientific value and enhance the earth’s amenity value.

Do you see why it is important to conserve our natural resources in Nigeria? You and I need take urgent conservation actions to protect Nigeria and the world at large.

Just in case you have any contribution, correction or comments, please feel free to comment below or contact us through our contact page.

Thanks for reading.

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Written by Akinluyi Sola Mathew