The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), in partnership with Nature Eco Capital, Business for Nature and other stakeholders, on Friday in Abuja inaugurated the Nigeria Business Advisory Group on Biodiversity (BAG).
Speaking at the event, Dr. Joseph Onoja, Director-General of the NCF, said the launch of BAG and the Nigeria Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) marked a significant milestone in ongoing collaborations with partners.
He said the partnership aims to mobilize private sector action to support Nigeria’s biodiversity goals under the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), adding that the effort is focused on unlocking private sector engagement for NBSAP implementation.
According to him, the NBSAP serves as a national framework for conserving biodiversity and ensuring its sustainable use in alignment with global goals under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Onoja explained that the business advisory group will function as a multi-stakeholder platform to foster dialogue, policy alignment and collaboration between businesses, government and civil society to advance nature-positive development.
“The main objective of BAG is to ensure that the business community and private sector play their role in conserving biodiversity in Nigeria.
“The objectives of BIOFIN and BAG are to align stakeholders on Nigeria’s NBSAP progress and next steps for implementation, and to build understanding of BIOFIN and its methodology to strengthen biodiversity finance planning.
“It also co-defines the role, structure and next steps for operationalizing BAG, including commitments towards the Business Action Plan (BAP),” he said.
Onoja said Nigeria’s endorsement of the Global Biodiversity Framework under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity requires an all-of-society and whole-of-government approach, noting that this had previously been a major gap.
“So we came together as partners with Nature Eco Capital, with funding from Business for Nature, to make that happen.
“Because raw materials are drawn from nature, businesses must take an interest in protecting nature to ensure the continuity and sustainability of their operations.
“Whatever they do, they must avoid harming nature, because biodiversity conservation is everybody’s business,” he said.
He added that with BAG now established, the NCF and its partners will be able to develop business action plans for biodiversity.
“This will help us define what we can do to continually improve biodiversity conservation in Nigeria,” he said.
Onoja also noted that the partnership with Business for Nature, a global coalition of companies, aims to ensure that nature-based solutions are fully integrated into Nigeria’s development priorities.
Also speaking, Mrs. Oluwasooto Ajayi, Africa Lead for Business for Nature, highlighted BAG’s importance to the organization.
She said Business for Nature, which has more than 100 partners globally, seeks to accelerate the transition to a nature-positive economy.
According to her, the partnership will help shape regional and global direction while supporting national implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
“One of our long-standing focuses has been advocacy for the Global Biodiversity Framework, and now we are moving into implementation,” she said.
Ajayi noted that Africa hosts 25 per cent of the world’s biodiversity and identified Nigeria as one of the most influential countries on the continent.
“It is important for us to implement this project in Nigeria and other influential African countries, to demonstrate what is possible and how businesses can support the implementation of biodiversity-related targets of the global framework.
“We want an economy that recognizes biodiversity as its foundation.
“Our support, including technical assistance from our partners, is meant to catalyses much more action,” she added.
