The Inaugural Lecturer, Prof. Adegboyega Michael Aduradola (FIIA) delivering the University’s 37th Inaugural Lecture titled “The Forest of Hope: Pains and Gains In Tropical Silviculture”, recently.
The current low level of forest productivity notwithstanding, there is hope for sustainable forest production in Nigeria.
This was the conclusion of Professor Adegboyega Micheal Aduradola (FIIA), after delivering the University 37th Inaugural Lecture on Wednesday, at the Professor Mahmood Yakubu Lecture Theatre. Titled, “The Forest of Hope: Pains and Gains In Tropical Silviculture”, Aduradola, a Professor of Silviculture held his audience spell bound for almost two hours, as he dug beneath the surface of the theme, expatiating on the advantages, the challenges and socio, economic hope in the nation’s forest.
According to the Inaugural Lecturer, who is of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, College of Environmental Resources Management (COLERM), the hope in Nigeria’s forest “was cemented by the First Forester, the Almighty God, who declared in the Bible, in Job 14:7-9 that: “For there is a hope for a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender branch will not cease. Though its root grow old in the earth, and it stock die in the ground yet at the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant”.
Aside the spiritual realm, Prof. Aduradola assured that even from the physical perspective, there’s hope for the nation’s forest, provided there is “a conscious adoption of scientific approach and necessary political will” by stakeholders.
Besides, he recommended a legislation that will enforce tree planting of at least, ten hectares annually in every local government of Nigeria, adding that its budget can afford the project.
Also recommended are abolition of old and ineffective forest laws, enactment of new forest legislation, for the promotion of appropriate pricing of forest products and services.
Others are creation of more forestry related Research Institutes. He suggested Institute for Tropical Silviculture and Forest Ecology; Institute for Wood Products and Utilization and Institute for Forest Inventory and Forest Management.
Professor Aduradola assured that the Research Institutes, when created will increase the speed of functional problem-oriented research and provide employment for forestry graduates.
