The National Park Service has assured Nigerians of more efforts towards carbon reduction in the country to mitigate climate change issues.

The Conservator-General of the NPS, Dr Ibrahim Goni, gave this assurance at a one-day seminar organised by the Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.

The theme of the event is “Climate and COP 28: The Way Forward for Nigeria.’’

Mr Goni said that the approval for the establishment of 10 new national parks in the country would facilitate carbon reduction.

“The seven national parks provide a total area of vegetation of 20,000 square kilometres, and we are confident that it would sequester carbon by 4.8 million parts. This means that with the introduction of the new 10 national parks, carbon dioxide is going to be sequestrated.’’

He advised residents on afforestation to reclaim lands that had been degraded by erosion.

The conservator-general commended the Federal Government for its efforts in carbon mediation and the planting of 25 million trees to cushion the effects of climate change in the country.

“This is a very good forum for me to talk about the developments made so far in the National Park Service and the conservation of our natural resources

“In 2020, the Federal Government approved the establishment of 10 new national parks.

“The president has sent a concussion, which the 9th Assembly concurred with, so all we are waiting for now is the gazette from the Federal Ministry of Justice. Once the gazette is out, we are going to take over these areas as national parks,” Mr Goni said.

The 10 new national parks are situated in Alawa National Park in Niger; Apoi National Park; Edumenun National Park in Bayelsa; Galgore National Park in Kano State; and Hadejia Wetland National Park in Jigawa.

Others are Kempe National Park in Kwara, Kogo National Park in Katsina State, Marhi National Park in Nasarawa State, Oba Hill National Park in Osun, and Pandam National Park in Plateau State.

(NAN)