FG: Desertification has disrupted livelihoods of over 40 million Nigerians

The federal government says desertification and land degradation have impacted the livelihoods of over 40 million Nigerians and affected 43 percent of the country’s landmass.

Balarabe Lawal, the minister of environment, spoke during a national dialogue held in Abuja to commemorate the 2025 World Desertification and Drought Day (WDD).

The event, themed “Restore the Land: Unlock the Opportunities”, was organised by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), with support from the federal ministry of environment.

Lawal, who was represented by Mahmud Kambari, the ministry’s permanent secretary, described land degradation as a global crisis and warned that it threatens food security.

He noted that dry land degradation has resulted in the loss of 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil globally.

Citing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the minister said more than two million hectares of land are lost annually to desertification, land degradation, and drought.

“In spite of this, it is estimated that 300 million hectares of land will be required to meet food demand by the year 2030,” he said.

The minister added that investing in sustainable land management practices was critical to address broader challenges such as economic hardship, water scarcity, and climate change.

Lawal said the government had developed institutions, policies, and action plans to address desertification and related threats.

Also speaking, Regina Nwaneri, director of the department of desertification, land degradation and drought management, said Nigeria remained committed to its obligations under the UNCCD.

Nwaneri said the scale of current land restoration efforts was not enough to meet urgent needs, citing UN estimates that $1 billion is needed daily from 2025 to 2030 to tackle the crisis.

Despite the funding gap, she acknowledged government’s ongoing investments in land restoration and drought response.