The Nigerian Conservation Foundation is seeking N2bn to combat the pollution and other forms of environmental problems confronting the different sections of the country, especially the Niger Delta region.
Part of the fund is indeed, to enable the organisation intervene in the Niger Delta issue, through a comprehensive environmental restoration valued at N765.34m.
The Executive Director, NCF, Prof. Emmanuel Obot, told newsmen in Lagos on Thursday, that the various intervention programmes, which were designed to touch the lives of people, were symbolic to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the organisation.
Obot who spoke at a media seminar to mark the commencement of the silver jubilee, said that over 30 per cent of the Niger Delta region had been devastated by pollution.
The NCF, he stated, was willing to immediately implement an environmental and economic restoration programme already developed for the region.
The efforts, he said, would also involve building expertise that could change the orientation of the people away from oil and gas.
Obot said, �Over 50 per cent of oil and gas activities in the Niger Delta has resulted in many sensitive habitats being severely damaged, including areas vital to fish breeding, sea turtle nesting, mangroves and rainforests; the ecosystems severely impaired and the livelihoods and health of the impoverished residents, compromised.�
He also estimated that N421.56m was planned to combat the menace of drought and desertification in northern Nigeria.
As for gully erosion in the South East, he said, �NCF, as an agent of environmental conservation and community development, seeks to develop and commence implementation of gully erosion management plan with a cost of N482.78m.�
He also expressed the concern of the foundation over the state of the nation�s coastal and marine areas.
According to him, Nigeria had no coastal and marine protected area. He added that the sustainable management of mangrove resources and the protection of marine fish breeding grounds and sea turtle nesting sites, would depend on the establishment of such a conservation area. The NCF plans to spend N537.88m on the pilot project.
To execute the projects, Obot said the foundation planned to raise the money through an endowment fund.
He said, �NCF has collaborated with the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, towards the preparations for the endowment fund inauguration in Abuja. Both organisations have reached an agreement to work together to garner the much needed support to raise funds to sustain the efforts towards preserving Nigeria�s environment.�