UNESCO Committed To Conserving Nigeria’s Natural Reserves – Official

Dr Jean-Paul Abiaga, Head of Office, UNESCO Abuja (left) during his visit to Abeokuta, Ogun State recently. PHOTO: OLOGUNWA PAUL SHOLA

UNESCO has reiterated its commitment to conserving Nigeria’s biosphere reserves, ensuring environment presevation and discouraging human activities that fuel climate change across communities.

Dr Jean-Paul Abiaga, Head of Office, UNESCO Abuja and the organisation’s representative in Nigeria, said this in an interview on Monday, December 29, 2025, in Abuja.

He said that UNESCO was conserving biosphere reserves, particularly Oban in Cross River, Omo in Ogun State, and Shere Hills in Plateau State.

He explained that a biosphere referred to the global sum of all ecosystems, including all living organisms and their interactions with the environment. Abiaga added that UNESCO had engaged communities in the Oban, Omo and Shere Hills biosphere reserves in biodiversity business training.

A biosphere, according to the organisation, refers to the global sum of all ecosystems, encompassing all living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

The UNESCO representative said they had engaged in biodiversity business training for Oban Biosphere Reserve, Omo Biosphere Reserve and Shere Hills Reserve communities.

“The training is entitled Biodiversity Business in Oban Biosphere Reserve, Omo Biosphere Reserve and Shere Hills Reserve, Nigeria: A Means to Poverty Reduction, Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in Nigeria.

“UNESCO received $1 million from India-UN Partnership Fund to implement the Biodiversity Business Project in three sites across Nigeria.

“The objective of the project is to support youth, women and local communities to develop biodiversity-related businesses,” Abiaga said.

Speaking on the training for Omo communities, he recalled they selected ten communities to train them in piggery and fish farming biodiversity businesses.

According to him, the goal is to help them create alternative source of livelihood that generate income while protecting the environment.