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COMMONWEALTH FORESTRY ASSOCIATION HOLDS WORKSHOP ON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN FUTA


COMMONWEALTH FORESTRY ASSOCIATION HOLDS WORKSHOP ON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN FUTA

The Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA) Nigeria chapter on July 2,2019  held a workshop on improving scientific skills in natural resources management in the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA. The workshop is aimed at capacity building for foresters, agro scientists and natural renewable energy scientists. While declaring the workshop open, the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Professor Joseph Fuwape represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development, Professor Philip Oguntunde said the theme of the workshop was both timely and profound as a potent instrument for reawakening research findings and revaluating policy concepts for the improvement of skills in the management of resources in Nigeria. He said it’s an open fact that Nigeria is abundantly blessed with enormous natural resources which if properly harnessed and managed will greatly add to our economic wellbeing. 

Professor Fuwape stated that it was unfortunate that in recent times successive leaders have focused only on exploration of oil resources neglecting other opportunities embedded in the land. He said there is an urgent need to properly manage receipt from oil resources for national development and also maximize other resources lying untapped in the country. He said natural resources management is a technique for administration of nature’s endowments such as land, water, soil, plants and animals with a focus on how management affects the quality life of both the present and future generations.  He said it is necessary for a professional body like CFA to take the lead in capacity building and champion the course of government policies in natural resources management.

The Vice Chancellor said it is a recognizable fact that people and their livelihood rely on the productivity of the landscapes.  It is therefore imperative to take care of the natural resources for the benefit of every Nigerian.

In his opening speech, the president CAF, Nigerian Chapter Professor Busuyi Agbeja said CFA, Nigeria is a nonprofit NGO under the tutelage of CFA United Kingdom working in the continent and beyond to promote the management of forest resources.  He stressed the need for the establishment of forest reserves in the country for research findings. He said “it is high time we collectively as foresters, wildlife experts, environmental scientists and other natural resource identified our challenges and sensitize the Federal Government to create more forest research institutes, in Nigeria in order to scientifically solve protracted problems in forest resource management. He said the Federal Government must enact the forestry act and in the same vein forest reserves should be established in every state to minimize the deforestation and degradation. Professor Agbeja stated that sustainable forest management plays an essential role in the economy and this requires the training and development of forest professionals thus the CFA works to promote the management of trees and forest resource while encouraging professional excellence and promoting idea development. He commended FUTA for its support and urged participants to bring pertinent issues to the front burner for public discourse. The Programme was coordinated by Dr Olubokola Oyerinde of FUTA’s Department of Forestry and Wood Technology.

Participants were trained on Basic Statistical Analysis, modelling and programming language “R” and legal frameworks for proposal writing.