National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2020.

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is an instrument with a multi-sectoral approach whose long-term vision is a Nigeria with healthy living environment where people live in harmony with nature and sustain the gains and benefits of biodiversity, integrating biodiversity into national programme aimed at reducing poverty and developing a secure future in line with the principle of ecological sustainability and social equity. The document is based upon Nigeria’s commitment to the Convention of Biological diversity (CBD) and aims to achieve these 5 Main Goals: 1) Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity into national planning and societal values; 2) Reduce the direct pressures on Nigeria’s biodiversity resources and promote sustainable use; 3) Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity; 4) Ensure fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services to all; 5) Promote participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building as an integral part of implementation of biodiversity management. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan consists of the following Chapters: 1) Introduction; 2) Status of biodiversity in Nigeria; 3) Strategy principles, priorities and targets; 4) National actions to achieve the strategy; 5) Implementation Plan; 6) Institutional Monitoring and Reporting
The instrument aims to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. This involves, among other actions, developing a national strategy for the conservation of agricultural biodiversity and promotion of agroforestry.
The reduction of rural poverty is among the objectives of the plan.
The document also seeks to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. Target 12 is the enhancement, by 2020, of community participation in project design and management of key ecosystems. Gender issues are particularly taken into account in this plan, which addresses (i) gender analysis of biodiversity programmes and projects; (ii) gender responsive planning and policies for integrating women in resource management decision making; (iii) development of a comprehensive plan for integrating gender issues for women and youths empowerment through measures of positive discrimination.
The National Actions to Achieve the Priority Targets and Strategies will be implemented within a period of 5 years (2016-2020). Applications of the NBSAP to Sub-national entities are contained in the last column of Table 4.1.