National Forest Policy.

The overall objective of the present national cross-sectoral Forest Policy is to achieve sustainable forest management that would ensure sustainable increases in the economic, social and environmental benefits from forests and trees for the present and future generation including the poor and the vulnerable groups. Furthermore, chapter 3 specifies that the objectives include the need to: i) Increase, maintain and enhance the national forest estate through sound forest management practices; ii) Address the underlying causes of deforestation, desertification including lack of policy support, market distortions, weak regulationsand rural poverty; iii) Promote and regulate private sector involvement in forestry development, and to create a more positive investment climate in the sector; iv) Capitalize on the economic, social and environmental opportunities in forestry without undermining the resource base; v) Encourage forest dependent people, farmers and local communities to improve their livelihood through new approaches to forestry; vi) Ensure the survival of forest biodiversity and to balance this with the pressing development needs of the country; vii) Rehabilitate and conserve key watershed forests; viii) Promote and maintain the greening of the urban environment, and meet the increasing demand for forest products by urban centers; ix) Ensure that improved tenure to land and tree acts as an incentive for individuals, communities and women in particular to invest in forestry; x) Help private owners and communities to reserve land for forestry; xi) Build capacity and systems for state and local government to engage actively in forest resources management and development; xii) Apply an effective regulatory system to safeguard public interests under private sector forest management agreements to ensure adequate legal provisions for tenure in order to encourage long-term investment; xiii) Develop partnerships or management agreement with local communities that improve forest management and alleviate poverty; xiv) Strengthen and make best use of the capacity and reach of NGOs and CBOs in facilitating forest development; xv) Develop and promote responsive, affordable, well-informed and decentralized forestry advisory services to farmers, communities and the forest industry; xvi) Develop and support demand driven, well coordinated forestry research and training institutions and programmes; xvii) Develop a forest sector programme that translates forest policy into action in a way that complements programmes in related sectors.To achieve sustainable forest management, some of the strategies to be adopted include: i) The promotion of partnership with all stakeholders including the private sector, communities, and society, NGOs and CBOs; ii) Decentralisation; iii). Promotion of community participation in forest resources management; iv). Encouraging the active participation of all women and men, young people and elderly and the vulnerable group in forest resources development.Chapter 3.3 on Priority Areas for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) deals furthermore with the following aspects: Forest Management; Community Participation; Private Sector Involvement and Participation in Forestry Development; Biodiversity Conservation, National Parks and Games Reserves of Conservation Interest; Forest Industries; Forest Administration; Non-Timber Forest Products; Environmental Service of Forests; Watershed Forests and Wetland Management;Agro-Forestry; Urban Forestry; Poverty Alleviation and Food Security; Supply of Seeds and Seedlings; Forestry Research and Development; Forest Fiscal Policy; Forest Fires; Pest and Diseases Control; National Tree Planting Campaign; Woodfuels; Drought and Desertification Control; Employment, Safety and Security of Personnel and Habitat; Gender Issues; Youth Programmes; Manpower Development, Training And Capacity Building; Education and Awareness Creation; Information and Database Management; Land, Tree Tenure And Conflict Resolution; Trade (Internal and External); Sectoral Cooperation; National and International Cooperation; Forest Sector Investment.Part 3.3.2.3 lays down provisions relating to strategies for the implementation of the Policy: i) Develop a supportive legal basis for tree tenure, access rights, and sharing of benefits from wood and non-wood forest products; ii) Develop both the capacity and attitude changes in government and non- governmental organizations so as to create genuine partnerships for collaboration with local community groups; (iii) Develop a virile community, institutions to ensure transparent decision-making, the adequate representation and participation of women, men, and vulnerable groups and the equitable sharing of forest benefits and responsibilities; iv) Strengthen the role of NGOs and CBOs in mobilizing communities and building capacity for implementing collaborative forest management; v) Ensure resolution of conflicts relating to problem of animals around protected areas.The text consists of 4 Chapters as follows: Background Note to the New National Forest Policy For Nigeria (1); Guiding Principles for the National Forest Policy (2); Forest Policy Statements, Objectives and Strategies (3); Support for implementing the Forest Policy (4).