Renowned environmentalist Dr. Nnimmo Bassey has criticized the continued promotion of monoculture plantations in Nigeria, warning that the practice contributes to the destruction of biodiversity and creates what he described as “green deserts.”
Dr. Bassey, who is the Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), made these remarks during the Third Multi-Stakeholders Conference on Deforestation held in Calabar on Monday. The event was organized by We The People, a civil society organization dedicated to environmental justice.
According to Bassey, the government’s uncritical endorsement of large-scale plantation agriculture — especially those focused on cash crops — undermines the ecological integrity of Nigeria’s forests. “What we are promoting as green initiatives are, in fact, green deserts. These plantations involve the removal of rich, biodiverse forests and replacing them with single-crop systems that offer little to no habitat for native species,” he said.
He noted that plantations often rely heavily on chemical inputs such as pesticides and herbicides, which not only kill insects like butterflies but also pose significant health risks to surrounding communities. “The same plantations that governments hail as economic boosters are sustained through toxic chemicals, destroying biodiversity and harming people,” he added.
Bassey, a former chairman of Friends of the Earth International, also condemned the rationale behind cash cropping, labeling it a colonial concept that prioritizes foreign exchange over local wellbeing. “We keep hearing from government officials that we need foreign exchange, hence the push for cash crops. But what is the value of that income if it comes at the cost of our people’s health and the destruction of our environment?”
He emphasized that plantation agriculture was never designed for local consumption but was a tool of colonial exploitation. “What we’re seeing today is a continuation of plantation slavery — only this time, our land and future are being enslaved,” he declared.
Instead of prioritizing export-oriented agriculture, Bassey advocated for increased support for small-scale farmers producing healthy, locally consumed food. He called for comprehensive policies to enhance food security, including addressing rural insecurity, investing in infrastructure, supporting agricultural extension services, and revamping research institutions.
In a related address, Mr. Ken Henshaw, Executive Director of We The People, highlighted the alarming deforestation rate in Cross River State. He noted that Cross River is home to Nigeria’s largest pristine rainforest, which is now under threat due to government policies that commercialize forest lands for revenue generation.
Henshaw explained that while communities had traditionally protected the forests for decades, the situation changed after the government placed a ban on all forest-related activities in 2008. This decision followed promises made under the United Nations REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiative, which encouraged government forest preservation in exchange for carbon credits.
However, Henshaw revealed that nearly 15 years after agreeing to REDD terms, the promised carbon credits have not materialized. The ban discouraged communities from safeguarding the forests, opening the door for illegal logging and other destructive activities. “Instead of incentives, what communities got was exclusion. The result has been catastrophic,” he concluded.
The conference ended with calls for a reassessment of Nigeria’s environmental and agricultural policies to align with long-term sustainability and local well-being
