Africa's Shrinking Forests: A peep into Nigerian situation and its implications on socio-economic development

The study examines the state of Nigeria forests; it highlights the importance of forest as well as the implications of its loss. The implications include a general decrease in evapotranspiration and a reduction in its ability as a carbon sink thereby contributing to global warming. It further examines some conservation strategies like biodiversity protection through the establishment of forest reserves and continuous improved felling techniques in order to achieve sustainable logging which will bring about sustainable forest management for economic development of the country. It also suggests ecotourism as a form of boosting economic development. Finally, the paper recommended that there should be development, implementation and enforcement of an integrated, holistic polices to change production and consumption pattern, development of the ecotourism industry as well as the preservation of bio-diversity by establishing more forest reserves where the exploitation of all forms of forest resources are prohibited.