What if the secret to Nigeria’s energy security and economic stability wasn’t found in a boardroom, but in its forests? This was the central message from top environmentalists Joseph Onoja (NCF) and Eugene Itua (AGESI) during a recent broadcast commemorating the 2026 International Day of Forests.
As the global community marked the 2026 International Day of Forests, the environmental advocates in Nigeria issued a stern warning to the private sector: the survival of the nation’s economy is inextricably linked to the health of its green ecosystems.
Speaking on Channels TV on Saturday, leading voices in conservation called for a paradigm shift in how Nigerians, particularly business leaders, view and interact with natural habitats.
The duo challenged the Nigerian public to stop viewing forests as vacant land or criminal hideouts and start seeing them as “lifelines”. From the oxygen we breathe to the water that powers our national grid, the experts argued that “business as usual” is a risk we can no longer afford.
Itua pointed out that if people strip the trees from the catchments of major dams, we are effectively choosing energy instability. Meanwhile, Onoja reminded Nigerians that no amount of capital can “effectively produce” the natural services, like clean air, that forests provide for free.
On the 2026 International Day of Forests, environmental leaders have called on Nigerians, particularly the private sector, to prioritise the protection of natural ecosystems as a foundation for sustainable growth.
Speaking on Channels TV, Onoja (Director-General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation) and Itua (CEO of Natural Eco Capital) argued that business success and biodiversity are inextricably linked.
Onoja described forests as the “lungs of the earth”, warning that treating them as hideouts for insurgency ignores their vital role in providing oxygen and sustaining human life. He urged developers to leave critical habitats untouched, noting that nature provides services that money cannot replicate.
Onoja, Director-General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), lamented the deteriorating reputation of Nigerian forests. He noted that while forests are frequently associated with insurgency and criminal hideouts in the national consciousness, their ecological functions are far more vital.
“Forests are the lungs of the earth,” Onoja stated. “There are some things that, even if we have the money, we cannot produce effectively. An example is oxygen.”
He urged developers to adopt “nature-positive” urban planning, arguing that certain areas must remain untouched to allow biodiversity to function as a natural life-support system for human and economic activity.
Itua highlighted the direct link between forests and energy security, explaining that trees around major dams such as Shiroro and Jebba are essential to maintaining water levels for hydropower.
He also called for a shift away from fuelwood toward accessible, energy-efficient cooking alternatives. Both experts mentioned that businesses must view the environment not just as a source of raw materials but as a critical dependency requiring active investment.
“What actually supports dams like Shiroro and Jebba to ensure optimum energy supply are the trees surrounding them,” Itua noted.
He warned that clearing trees from these catchments directly compromises energy security, as deforestation leads to siltation and reduced water volumes.
The experts’ call to action aligns with the 2026 United Nations mandate, which highlights the massive, yet underfunded, economic potential of the forest sector. According to UN data, 1.6 billion people globally depend on forests for their subsistence or income.
Furthermore, the sector provides 13 million formal jobs and up to 50 million informal jobs. In low-income countries, forests often contribute a significantly larger share of GDP than in high-income economies.
“An organisation that takes from the environment, like water, should know their dependencies,” he said. “Everyone must be part of it.”
The International Day of Forests, established by the UN General Assembly in 2012, serves as an annual reminder that for Nigeria to achieve sustainable development, the preservation of its “lifelines” must move from the margins of policy to the centre of the boardroom.
