FUTA Don Sounds Alarm on Forest Mismanagement, Reckless Housing Developments in Protected Areas

A leading environmental scholar at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Victor Adekunle, has raised serious concerns over the uncontrolled exploitation of Nigeria’s forest resources and the reckless development of housing estates in protected areas, warning that these activities threaten the life and growth of the nation’s forests.

Delivering the 186th inaugural lecture at FUTA on October 28, 2025, titled “The Nigerian Unprotected Protected Areas: Forest Conservation and Assessment, the Conditio Sine Qua Non,” Professor Adekunle emphasized the urgent need for enforcement of protected areas (PAs) and strict regulation of forest preservation. He described natural forests as indispensable assets whose perpetuity and ecological benefits must be safeguarded through concerted human effort.

The professor highlighted the destructive consequences of human encroachment in PAs, noting that illegal timber extraction, farming, mining, and unregulated housing developments have resulted in environmental hazards including flooding, desertification, pollution, and wildlife loss. He stressed that such actions undermine the very objectives for which protected areas were established.

Professor Adekunle explained that Protected Areas are legally or administratively designated spaces meant to conserve biodiversity, carbon sinks, and cultural heritage. He further outlined their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting how forests provide income, employment, raw materials for schools and construction, fuelwood, healthcare resources, and research opportunities. He noted that sustainable forest management supports poverty alleviation and hunger reduction, key objectives of SDG 1.

To mitigate these challenges, Professor Adekunle recommended the promotion of sustainable agricultural and forestry practices, including selective logging, reduced impact logging, reforestation, afforestation, smart agriculture, agroforestry, and effective land-use planning. He warned against shifting cultivation and called for regulation of indiscriminate residential development within forested areas, advocating that such lands should be reserved for arable cropping rather than housing expansion.

The lecturer also proposed the establishment of the Nigeria Institute of Chartered Foresters (NICF) to professionalize forest management, enforce stiff penalties for law violators, and update obsolete forest legislation. Additionally, he urged universities, including FUTA, to create Campus Tree Management Committees (CTMCs) responsible for managing trees, conserving biodiversity, and organizing tree-planting initiatives for environmental sustainability.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Adenike Oladiji, who chaired the event, commended Professor Adekunle for delivering an engaging, informative, and thought-provoking lecture, describing him as an invaluable scholar whose research and expertise continue to inspire students and colleagues alike.