Sustainable Land Use and Forest Management for Socioeconomic Growth and Development in Nigeria

The rate of deforestation in Nigeria is considered one of the highest in the world resulting in land degradation, desertification and loss of biodiversity. Consequently, Nigeria's contribution to global GHGs emissions, global warming and climate change has soared geometrically, threatening socioeconomic growth and sustainable development. Deforestation and by extension desertification adversely affects the livelihoods of forest dwelling people who dependent directly or indirectly on land and forests. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) Goal 15 (G-15) aims to promote the sustainable management of forests, combat desertification, land degradation, loss of biodiversity and its effects on climate change in developing countries like Nigeria. Therefore, this paper proposes the concepts sustainable land use (SLU), forest resources management (FRM) and Protection of Biodiversity (PBD) as measures to climate change resulting rapid deforestation, desertification and land degradation in Nigeria. The results and conclusions of the paper submit that SLU, FRM and PBD can significantly reduce the effects of climate change. This can be achieved by investments in early warning systems, public awareness, and educational sensitization campaigns. The successful adoption and implementation of SLU, FRM and PBD practices can potentially stimulate long term socioeconomic growth and sustainable development in Nigeria.