The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has called on state governments within Nigeria’s biosphere reserves to strengthen efforts in biodiversity conservation by promoting green and sustainable livelihoods.
Dr. Jean-Paul Abiaga, UNESCO Representative to Nigeria and Head of the UNESCO Abuja Office, made the call on Tuesday during a Biodiversity Business Training exercise held in communities around the Omo Biosphere Reserve, Ogun State.
Abiaga described conservation as central to UNESCO’s mandate, stressing that the organisation’s goal is to help communities within biosphere reserves develop environmentally friendly and sustainable income-generating activities.
“What the communities expect from UNESCO is to scale up what has already started in this community and in other reserves,” he said. “We want to show that it is possible to preserve biodiversity while sustaining livelihoods. We want this example scaled at the state level and across Nigeria.”
He noted that addressing the human livelihood component remains one of the biggest challenges in biodiversity management.
According to Abiaga, UNESCO’s Biodiversity Business Project aims to help communities live sustainably without harming the environment, while becoming active agents of conservation.
He said the initiative aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation, as well as broader climate action goals.
“We are currently training 10 different communities in Ogun State, especially those living near the Omo Biosphere Reserve, in piggery and sustainable fish farming,” he explained. “With this, they can earn green income while reducing harmful practices such as illegal logging, destructive fishing, poaching, and other activities that degrade the environment.”
“This directly relates to several SDGs, including SDG 6 on water resources. Overall, this is a comprehensive programme that addresses multiple SDGs that the international community has committed to achieve by 2030,” he added.
