Conservation foundation inaugurates business advisory group on biodiversity

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), in partnership with Nature Eco Capital, Business for Nature, and other stakeholders, on Friday inaugurated the Nigeria Business Advisory Group on Biodiversity (BAG).

Dr Joseph Onoja, Director-General of the NCF, in his remarks at the event, said the inauguration of BAG and the Nigeria Biodiversity Finance (BIOFIN) initiative marked a significant milestone in the ongoing partnership with its collaborators.

He stated that the partnership aims to mobilise private sector action to support Nigeria’s biodiversity goals under the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).

He added that the efforts were geared towards unlocking private sector engagement for the implementation of the NBSAP.

According to him, the NBSAP will serve as a national framework for conserving biodiversity and ensuring its sustainable use in alignment with the global goals and targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Director-General further noted that the business group would serve as a multi-stakeholder platform to foster dialogue, policy alignment, and collaboration between business, government, and civil society in advancing nature-positive development.

“The main objective of BAG is to enable the business community and private sector to take their place in implementing biodiversity conservation in Nigeria.

“The objectives of BIOFIN and BAG are to align stakeholders on Nigeria’s NBSAP progress and the 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 operationalising BAG, including commitments towards the Business Action Plan (BAP),” he said.

Onoja explained that when Nigeria signed the Global Biodiversity Framework of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, there arose a need for an all-of-society, private-sector-driven, and whole-of-government approach—one of the major gaps that had been identified.

“So we came together as partners with Nature Eco Capital, with funding from Business for Nature, to make that happen.

“This is because raw materials are taken from nature; therefore, the business sector must have an interest in nature for the continuity and sustainability of their operations.

“So whatever they do, they should ensure they do not harm nature, because biodiversity conservation is everybody’s business.”

Onoja further said that with the establishment of the group, the NCF, together with stakeholders, would now be able to develop business action plans for biodiversity.

“This will help us determine what more we can do to improve biodiversity conservation in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the partnership with Business for Nature, a global coalition of businesses, was to ensure that nature-based solutions were not left behind in the country.

Also speaking, Mrs Oluwasooto Ajayi, Africa Lead for Business for Nature, emphasised the benefits of BAG to the organisation.

Ajayi said the organisation, with over 100 partners across the globe, aims to activate and accelerate the transition to a nature-positive economy.

According to her, the partnership will help shape regional and global direction while also enabling 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 looking at implementation.”

While noting that Africa holds 25 per cent of the world’s biodiversity, she identified Nigeria as one of the most influential countries on the continent.

“It is therefore important for us to have this project in Nigeria and other influential countries to demonstrate what is possible and how businesses can get involved in supporting the implementation of business-related targets of the global biodiversity framework.

“We want an economy that recognises the foundation we have through biodiversity.

“The support we are providing, along with the technical assistance from our partners, is meant to catalyse much more,” she said.