The United Nations has issued an urgent call for global action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, warning that climate change, pollution, and environmental exploitation are driving nature toward collapse. In his message for the 2026 International Day for Biological Diversity, themed “Acting locally for global impact,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres described biodiversity as “the living web that sustains humanity.” He cautioned that the natural world faces devastating threats with severe consequences for livelihoods and sustainable development.
Global Threats and Framework for Action
Guterres stated that the combined impacts of climate chaos, pollution, and the “relentless exploitation of land, ocean and freshwater” are accelerating environmental degradation worldwide. He highlighted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as a roadmap for action, while stressing the need for stronger commitment and accountability. “Governments must lead by accelerating implementation, mobilising finance, and closing capacity gaps that hold back progress,” he said.
The UN chief emphasized that biodiversity protection cannot be left to governments alone. Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, young people, academia, businesses, cities, and regions all have critical roles to play. He noted that the UN supports member states through science-based and inclusive initiatives, including updating national biodiversity strategies, restoring ecosystems, expanding protected areas, and integrating nature into sustainable development and climate action plans.
Nigeria’s Biodiversity at Risk
As Nigeria’s biodiversity faces mounting threats, the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) also called on governments, communities, businesses, and citizens to translate global commitments into concrete local action. Nigeria is one of Africa’s most biodiverse nations, with savannas, montane forests, rainforests, freshwater swamps, floodplains, and coastal and marine ecosystems. These support nearly 8,000 plant species across 338 families and more than 22,000 animal species, including insects, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Nigeria ranks 36th globally in biodiversity richness, with especially high diversity in birds, mammals, and vascular plants.
However, this natural wealth is disappearing at an alarming rate. Nigeria has one of the world’s highest deforestation rates, with over 90 percent of its original forest cover lost. Habitat fragmentation, climate change, overexploitation, pollution from oil spills and gas flaring, and invasive alien species continue to drive species decline and ecosystem degradation. Illegal and unsustainable wildlife hunting and exploitation, often facilitated through social media and informal markets, are undermining conservation gains.
National Strategy and Local Action
Nigeria’s revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) aligns with the 23 global targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It commits the country to halting biodiversity loss by 2030 through effective management of high-priority areas and protection of at least 30 percent of land, inland waters, and coastal and marine habitats. The plan addresses direct drivers of biodiversity loss such as unsustainable harvesting, pollution, and invasive species, while prioritizing ecosystem restoration, improved ecosystem services, and integration of biodiversity into development planning and budgeting across sectors.
The plan also promotes sustainable resource use in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry; establishes frameworks for fair access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources and traditional knowledge; strengthens science, monitoring, and data systems; expands education and public awareness; and outlines pathways for mobilizing national, private, and international finance to bridge the implementation gap.
Call for Execution at Local Level
Director-General of the Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Joseph Onoja, said biodiversity loss is already affecting communities and livelihoods across the country. “Biodiversity loss is not an abstract global problem. It is happening in our forests, wetlands, and communities, and it affects food security, water, health, and livelihoods,” Onoja stated. “WBD 2026 is a reminder that global targets are only achieved when local actors take responsibility. The Kunming-Montreal Framework gives us the roadmap. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan gives us the plan. What we need now is execution at the local level, where ecosystems are managed, and communities live.”
