Abuja: The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), in collaboration with Natural Eco Capital, has called on Nigerian businesses to play their part in preserving the natural environment. The call was made during the inauguration of the ‘Nigeria Business Action Plan For Biodiversity (BAP)’ in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this is the first biodiversity business implementation action plan inaugurated in Nigeria. Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, emphasized the importance of preserving biodiversity as it is crucial for sustaining every business, regardless of the sector. He highlighted that businesses must get involved in nature preservation as it ultimately determines their profitability. He cited Nepal as an example, where neglecting nature resulted in significant destruction when nature reacted.
Onoja noted that biodiversity has become a global priority and that Nigeria is actively participating by adopting the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBSAP) 2025-2030. He stressed that while adopting the framework is essential, its implementation is equally crucial. This led to the formulation of an implementation action plan, co-created with businesses, to ensure that their processes, actions, and policies do not harm the environment.
Dr. Eugene Itua, Director-General of Natural Eco Capital, stated the importance of involving businesses in nature preservation, noting that it benefits them as well. He observed that the private sector has not been particularly nature-conservative in their business conduct, leading to the formation of the biodiversity action plan tailored for them. This plan will help businesses protect nature and understand how their activities impact and depend on it.
Similarly, Charles Odii, Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), expressed the agency’s readiness to partner with the foundations to ensure successful implementation of the action plan. Represented by David Aiyenigba, Odii highlighted the importance of aligning economic growth with the stewardship of natural heritage and emphasized that sustainable enterprise and robust ecosystems are mutually dependent forces.
The event, organized in partnership with Business for Nature, brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including the Ministry of Environment, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), lawmakers, partner foundations, and other relevant stakeholders.