Salako, Head of Nigerian Delegation To Colombia, Says Healthy biodiversity Reduces Pressure On Health System As He Rounds off His Duties As Minister of State For Environment
The new Minister of state for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, as he rounds off his duties as Minister of State for Environment leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 16th Conference of Parties to United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in Cali, Colombia has reinforced the interconnectedness of public health and biodiversity. A strong advocate of nature based solutions and conservation, it is symbolic that after one year, Salako is transiting from the environment to the health sector through the bridge of the biggest biodiversity conference in the world. Salako, who is a Medical Doctor believes that a healthy biodiversity keeps the doctor away and will reduce the pressure on our health system.
Speaking at the Forest Leaders for Climate Partnership Ministerial Event on Leaders Protecting Forests to meet Global Biodiversity and Climate Goals, the Minister highlighted the interconnectedness between the 3 Rio Conventions on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Desertification. He called for more transparent, less-laborious and equitable financing mechanisms to protect our forests which is a common denominator in the 3 Rio Conventions.
“Nigeria welcomes the launch of the “BBNJ first movers” initiated by Chile in this regard. This initiative comes as a welcome addition to the ECOWAS regional coordination process and strengthens our advocacy that we need to support one another to ensure we are as effective as possible to protect the global ocean. Designating the first generation of highly and fully protected MPAs in the high-seas is no small task but we are ready to tackle it together.
“The ECOWAS subregion is launching the development of a regional roadmap focused on the development of proposals for highly and fully protected high seas MPAs off the African coast. This process is a direct outcome of the regional coordination meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria in November 2023. ECOWAS subregion will also host the 6th International Congress on Marine Protected Areas (IMPAC 6) in Senegal in 2027 with the vision of using the momentous forum to announce concrete proposals for highly and fully protected MPAs in the high seas. Our processes are country led but coordinated at the subregional level.
“9 out of 15 ECOWAS countries (including Ivory coast) being announced today have signed the BBNJ treaty and working towards its ratification. Nigeria hopes to be able to announce the ratification on or before UN Ocean Conference in June, 2025. We know the road towards ratification remains arduous but we are determined to be part of protecting the future and playing an active role in the implementation of the treaty.
“Now is the time to develop solid proposals to seek the designation of highly and fully protected marine protected areas covering at least 30% of the Planet. Nigeria and ECOWAS trust that we can count on all of you for technical and financial support to mainstream and accelerate the development of proposals for the first generation of high-quality, effectively managed high-seas MPAs for submission at the first Conference of the Parties of the BBNJ Agreement”, Salako submitted.
He noted that stablishing fully and highly protected marine areas is a shared responsibility which must be backed by collective readiness to submit and adopt proposals actualizing shared vision. NigerianEcho reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on October 23, 2024 sacked five Ministers, appointed seven new ones and reassigned ten Ministers to new positions. Dr. Salako who was the Minister of State for Environment has been made the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare.
