Dr. Joseph Onoja, Technical Director, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), joined other world leaders in conservation to promote biodiversity at the webinar conference organised Department of Zoology, University of Lagos, on Friday, 22nd May 2020 in commemoration of the International Day of Biodiversity (IDB) 2020 with the theme “Our Solutions are in Nature”.
In his lecture titled “The Role of Wildlife to a Pandemic: potentials and challenges”, he said that
wildlife (plants and animals) are an integral part of the existence of humans, and nature has created a balance for the enjoyment and overall wellbeing of humans. However, humans in their ‘wisdom’ have interrupted and disrupted that balance. This disruptions have come with its attendant consequences e.g. Pandemics, floods, heat wave, sea surge etc.
He then proposed a four cardinal nature-based solutions to the identified challenges. They are sanitation, flood prevention, regulation as well as pest management. He said “Wildlife have been placed to prevent such pandemics in the first place, but since we have found ourselves in this situation, wildlife will also be the solution.”
Other participants include Dr. Kevin Njabo, Department of Environmental Health Science, University of California, USA; Dr Anil Kumar, CEO, Foundation for Nature Conservation, India; Prof. J. K. Saliu, HOD, Department of Zoology, University of Lagos among others.
In a related development, the Nigerian Youth Biodiversity Network organised an online event to add their voice to the Day.
Dr. Onoja in his presentation “Challenges and Opportunities of COVID-19 on Biodiversity Conservation in Nigeria” listed some of the challenges of Covid-19 on biodiversity conservation as hostility towards wildlife; inability to carry out field conservation work or patrols and reduced funding for conservation work because of economic downturn for funders.
He revealed further that though pandemic has caused a lockdown it has however presented a good opportunity for biodiversity conservation effort to be well promoted
