The Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks, (NAZAP) has appealed to general public and government at all levels to support and promote biodiversity conservation as part of effort to advance the nation co servation sector.
National President of NAZAP, Mr Francis Abioye made the appeal on Saturday in Imo during the event to mark the 2021 International Day for Biological Diversity.
“Today being May 22 is a day set aside by United Nation since year 2000 as International Day for Biological Diversity.
“NAZAP is advocating for protection and preservation of our national genetic pools by all state and non state actors”, he said.
This was part of his speech during a virtual conference with numerous conservation clubs made up of secondary and primary schools in Imo and neighbouring states to drive their point home.
Abioye described this year’s theme “We Are Part of The Solution” as very significant to history.
He said emerging wildlife born diseases that threathen the world are traceable to destruction of habitat of reservoir hosts. Other climate change effects are byproducts of destruction of biodiversity.
“Everyone on the planet earth should refrain first from activities that leads to destruction of existing conservation areas.
While we need to exercise restrain and caution when embarking on any developmental projects that leads to destruction of ungazzeted forest or natural ecosystem” he said.
Abioye, also the General Manager of Imo Zoological Garden and Wildlife Park commended all conservation stakeholders who are commemorating today’s event in various forms.
He urged governmentt to think more of building infrastructure around nature instead of removing natural haritage for infrastructural development.
“Let us be part of the solution to stable environment and not the problem, the world will be safer and better to live if we all chose to be part of the solution”, he said.
