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77-657: The Kaiama Declaration was issued by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) of Nigeria on 11 December 1998 to attribute the political crisis in Nigeria to the struggle for the control of oil mineral resources , while asserting that the degradation of the environment of Ijawland by transnational oil companies and the Nigerian State arise mainly because Ijaw people have been robbed of their natural rights to ownership and control of their land and resources. The council

154-702: A VPA - or those who will be entering into such negotiations - by providing examples of good practices. These good practices were identified and recorded following interviews with the main stakeholders in the eight VPA countries in West and Central Africa, the European Forest Institute's (EFI) EU FLEGT Facility and the European Commission . In 2016, the FAO-EU FLEGT Programme published an additional study, Traceability:

231-527: A cargo ship transporting timber from the Indonesian company Korindo, which was being imported into France, UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Korindo is known to be using illegal timber from the last rainforests of Indonesia. In May 2003, an Indonesian Government investigation confirmed that Korindo was receiving illegal timber from notorious timber barons known to obtain timber from an orang-utan refuge –

308-1212: A general framework for possible actions to be undertaken by governments as well as civil society. The conference took place as the United Kingdom prepared to pass the G8 Presidency to Russia. As Valery Roshchupkin, Head of the Federal Forestry Agency of the Russian Federation , confirmed, illegal logging would be of special importance for Russia as the G8 President and for the following G8 Summit , also held in Saint Petersburg. The East Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance ( EA FLEG ) Ministerial Conference took place in Bali in September 2001. The Conference brought together nearly 150 participants from 20 countries, representing government, international organizations, NGOs, and

385-589: A key player in the socio-political dynamics of Nigeria, particularly in the context of the Niger Delta's ongoing struggles for environmental justice and resource control This article about an organization in Nigeria is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a paramilitary organization or suspected paramilitary organization is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Illegal logging Illegal logging

462-470: A management tool for business and governments , providing examples of good practices in the region's traceability systems, which help prevent illegal logging by tracking timber from its forest of origin throughout its journey along the supply chain. In response to growing concerns over illegal logging and advice from TRAFFIC and other organisations, on 22 May 2008, the U.S. amended the Lacey Act , when

539-530: A manifestation of the undemocratic and unjust nature of the military transition programme. Conference affirmed therefore, that the military are incapable of enthroning true democracy in Nigeria. 9 We call on all Ijaws to remain true to their Ijawness and to work for the total liberation of our people. You have no other true home but that which is in Ijawland. 10 We agreed to remain within Nigeria but to demand and work for Self Government and resource control for

616-460: A market of rising and falling prices, allowing traders or "timber barons" to stockpile illegally sourced logs during periodic bans and then flood the market when the trade windows open and prices are high. Over 350,000 trees were illegally felled in Madagascar between 2010 and 2015, according to TRAFFIC . The unsustainable exploitation of these tropical hardwoods, particularly rosewood from

693-671: A ministerial declaration and action plan as well as a variety of informal implementation initiatives. In 2014, the FAU-EU-FLEGT Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published the study The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process in Central and West Africa: from theory to practice to document and foster strategic reflection in partner countries already engaged in negotiating

770-432: A plant is found to have been harvested in violation of the laws of the country where it was harvested, that plant would be subject to seizure and forfeiture if imported into the U.S. The Lacey Act also makes it unlawful, beginning 15 December 2008, to import certain plants and plant products without a Plant and Plant Product import declaration. This Plant and Plant Product Declaration must contain (besides other information)

847-508: A pressing issue, particularly since the 1980s, a period marked by economic downturns due to plummeting world petroleum prices, devaluation of the Nigerian currency, rampant corruption, and a rapid increase in the country's population. These economic challenges had adverse effects on food production and led to escalating deforestation concerns. In regions that were rural or semi-urban and endowed with abundant forest trees and agricultural produce,

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924-584: A response to the longstanding grievances over environmental degradation, economic marginalization and political disenfranchisement faced by the Ijaw people and other communities in the oil rich Niger Delta. The IYC was established following the Kaiama Declaration , a document that articulated the demands of the Ijaw people for greater control over their natural resources, environmental protection and self determination. The organizations' primary purpose

1001-472: A role. However, public scrutiny has put significant pressure on shipping companies involved in the trade, and the United States is starting to enforce the Lacey Act by investigating companies with suspected involvement in the illegal trade of Malagasy precious woods. The indiscriminate logging in the rainforest and uncontrolled felling of trees for fuel wood are reported to have had adverse effect on

1078-486: A rosewood mafia easily bribes government officials, buying export permits with ease. These illegal operations are funded in part by advance payments for future shipments (financed by Chinese expatriates and Chinese importers) and by loans from large, international banks. Demand is fueled mostly by a growing Chinese middle class and their desire for exotic imperial-style furniture. European and American demand for high-end musical instruments and furniture have also played

1155-592: A scientific perspective, the destruction of these trees significantly impacts the carbon cycle and intensifies the greenhouse effect due to carbon depletion. The socio-economic losses to the nation, particularly concerning endangered species in the South-west and Mid-west forest zones of Nigeria (encompassing states such as Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, and Delta), are immeasurable. The rapid urbanization in Nigeria, coupled with escalating unemployment rates, persistent poverty, inequalities, inadequate social services,

1232-435: A significant developmental challenge in Nigeria, has far-reaching adverse effects on environmental crime . Environmental crime often takes a back seat in priority in most developing nations, as there is a common belief that the forest belongs to everyone in the community. Furthermore, Nigeria's over-reliance on crude oil has led the government to place less emphasis on the annual losses from theft of forest produce. Regrettably,

1309-459: A step towards reclaiming the control of our lives. We, therefore, demand that all oil companies stop all exploration and exploitation activities in the Ijaw area. We are tired of gas flaring; oil spillages, blowouts and being labelled saboteurs and terrorists. It is a case of preparing the noose for our hanging. We reject this labelling. Hence, we advice all oil companies staff and contractors to withdraw from Ijaw territories by 30 December 1998 pending

1386-541: A system with diverse individuals and institutions involved in meeting the industry's supply and demand requirements, whether legitimate or illegitimate. Given the unemployment rate in the country, which currently stands at about 20.3 million jobless Nigerians (National Directorate of Employment, 2012), primarily youth, a crucial question arises: how are they sustaining themselves? Undoubtedly, deviant activities tend to thrive in such circumstances, especially in forested areas. The diversity and dynamics of crime and illegalities in

1463-507: Is continuing in the balkanisation of the Ijaws into six states- Ondo , Edo, Delta , Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, mostly as minorities who suffer socio-political, economic, cultural and psychological deprivations. d. That the quality of life of Ijaw people is deteriorating as a result of utter neglect, suppression and marginalisation visited on Ijaws by the alliance of the Nigerian state and transnational oil companies. e. That

1540-446: Is frequently associated with corruption, money laundering , organized crime , human rights abuses , climate change and, in some cases, violent conflict. In the forestry sector, cheap imports of illegal timber and forest products, together with the non-compliance of some economic players with basic social and environmental standards, destabilize international markets. This unfair competition affects those European companies, especially

1617-511: Is influential in local and national politics and its decisions can impact the broader sociopolitical landscape in the Niger delta. today the IYC continues to be a vocal advocate for Ijaw people and Niger delta, engaging in dialogues with government and stakeholders to address the ongoing challenge of the region. The Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide currently led by Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri as president remains

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1694-427: Is not preceded by restructuring of the Nigerian federation. The way forward is a Sovereign National Conference of equally represented ethnic nationalities to discuss the nature of a democratic federation of Nigerian ethic nationalities. Conference noted the violence and killings that characterized the last local government elections in most parts of the Niger Delta. Conference pointed out that these electoral conflicts are

1771-430: Is repetitively employed on the same plot of land until it is denuded of its nutrients and could no longer suffice to support agricultural yields. Thereafter, these farmers will move on to occupy another plot of land and continually practice their slash-and-burn technique. This contributing social factor to deforestation reinforces the challenges faced by forestry sustainability in developing countries such as Indonesia. On

1848-450: Is technically difficult, but a series of attempts is made. Therefore, a legal basis for normative acts against timber imports or other products manufactured out of illegal wood is missing. Scientific methods to pinpoint the geographic origin of timber are currently under development. Possible actions to restrict imports cannot meet with WTO regulations of non-discrimination. They must instead be arranged in bilateral agreements. TRAFFIC,

1925-736: Is the harvest, transportation, purchase, or sale of timber in violation of laws . The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a protected area; the cutting down of protected species ; or the extraction of timber in excess of agreed limits. Illegal logging is a driving force for a number of environmental issues such as deforestation , soil erosion and biodiversity loss which can drive larger-scale environmental crises such as climate change and other forms of environmental degradation . Illegality may also occur during transport, such as illegal processing and export (through fraudulent declaration to customs );

2002-419: Is the key transit country for illegal wood products from Indonesia. Private corporations, motivated by economic profits from local and regional market demands for timber, are culpable for deforestation. These agro-industrial companies often do not comply with the basic legal regulations by inappropriately employing cost effective yet environmentally inefficient deforestation methods such as forest fires to clear

2079-456: Is the result of illegal logging. Subsequent estimates were that between 40% and 55% of logged in Indonesia is the result of illegal logging. A 2021 study estimated that 81% of forest conversion for palm oil in Indonesia was illegal, and that Indonesia's Supreme Audit Agency determined that less than 20% of the nation's palm oil operations complied with national laws and regulations. Malaysia

2156-415: Is to advocate for the rights and the interest of the Ijaw people particularly in relation to exploitation of oil and gas resources in their land. The IYC has been actively involved in various forms of advocacy, ranging from peaceful protests and negotiations to more militant actions. The group is known for strong stance against the exploitation of the Niger Delta's resources by multinational oil companies and

2233-963: The Chinese border . Logs are commonly cut on the Burmese side and then smuggled to processing facilities in China or Thailand. The scale of illegal logging represents a major loss of revenue to many countries and can lead to widespread associated environmental damage. A senate committee in the Philippines estimated that the country lost as much as US$ 1.8bn per year during the 1980s. The Indonesian government estimated in 2002 that costs related to illegal logging are US$ 3bn each year. The World Bank estimates that illegal logging costs timber-producing countries between 10 and 15 billion euros per year. This compares with 10 billion euros disbursed as EC aid in 2002. In March 2004, Greenpeace carried out actions against

2310-489: The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 expanded its protection to a broader range of plants and plant products (Section 8204. Prevention of Illegal Logging Practices). The requirements under the new Amendments are two-fold. First, the Lacey Act now makes it illegal to import into the United States plants that have been harvested contrary to any applicable Federal Law, State Law, Indian Tribal Law, or Foreign Law. If

2387-456: The Itsekiri , Ilaje, Urhobo Isoko, Edo, Ibibio, Ogoni , Ekpeye, Ikwerre etc. We affirm our commitment to joint struggle with the other ethnic nationalities in the Niger delta area for self-determination . 6. We express our solidarity with all peoples organisations and ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and elsewhere who are struggling for self-determination and justice. In particular we note

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2464-554: The Malagasy government , although the logging of rare hardwoods was explicitly banned from protected areas in 2000. Since then, government orders and memos have intermittently alternated between permitting and banning exports of precious woods. The most commonly cited reason for permitting exports is to salvage valuable wood from cyclone damage, although this reasoning has come under heavy scrutiny. This oscillating availability of Malagasy rosewood and other precious woods has created

2541-951: The Russian Federation announced its intention to host the ENA FLEG process, supported by the World Bank. A preparatory conference was held in Moscow in June 2005. The Saint Petersburg conference brought together nearly 300 participants representing 43 governments, the private sector, civil society, and international organizations. It agreed to the Saint Petersburg Declaration on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance in Europe and North Asia . The Declaration includes an indicative list of actions, intended to serve as

2618-575: The SAVA Region , has escalated significantly since the start of the 2009 Malagasy political crisis . Over 350,000 trees were illegally felled in Madagascar between 2010 and 2015, according to TRAFFIC . Thousands of poorly paid Malagasy loggers have flooded into the national parks—especially in the northeast—building roads, setting up logging camps, and cutting down even the most difficult to reach rosewood trees. Illegal activities are openly flaunted, armed militia have descended upon local villages, and

2695-733: The Tanjung Puting National Park . Tanjung Puting National Park is a 4,000-square-kilometre conservation area of global importance. It is recognized as a world biosphere reserve by the United Nations and forms the largest protected area of swamp forest in South-East Asia. The Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance ( ENA FLEG ) Ministerial Conference was held in Saint Petersburg , Russia on 22–25 November 2005. In May 2004,

2772-400: The avoidance of taxes and other charges, and fraudulent certification. These acts are often referred to as "wood laundering". Illegal logging is driven by a number of economic forces, such as demand for raw materials, land grabbing and demand for pasture for cattle. Regulation and prevention can happen at both the supply size, with better enforcement of environmental protections, and at

2849-547: The 1960s to the year 2000. Notably, industrial and social development, contending for the same land areas occupied by forests, has not been praiseworthy. Nigeria, given its extensive land area, encompasses diverse and favorable climatic and ecological zones. The nation's significant size, diverse population, and socio-political and economic challenges have placed immense pressure on the forest belts. The rise in unemployed youth has revealed that looting forest products for survival presents an opportunity. Consequently, unemployment,

2926-669: The East Asia region, among senior officials from the forest and related ministries, NGOs, and industry representatives; and commit to action at the national and regional level. In May 2003, the European Commission presented the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan ( EU FLEGT ). This marked the beginning of a long process by which the EU aims to develop and implement measures to address illegal logging and related trade. The primary means of implementing

3003-637: The Ijaw nation and representing 25 representative organisations met, today, in Kaiama to deliberate on the best way to ensure the continuous survival of the indigenous peoples of the Ijaw ethnic nationality of the Niger Delta within the Nigerian state. After exhaustive deliberations, the Conference observed: a. That it was through British colonisation that the IJAW NATION was forcibly put under

3080-570: The Ijaw people. Conference approved that the best way for Nigeria is a federation of ethnic nationalities. The federation should be run on the basis equality and social justice . Finally, Ijaw youths resolve to set up the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) to coordinate the struggle of Ijaw peoples for self-determination and justice. Signed for the entire participants by: Felix Tuodolo and Ogoriba, Timi Kaiser-Wilhelm. On 16 November 2000, Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha supported

3157-527: The Ijaw territory belong to Ijaw communities and are the basis of our survival. 2. We cease to recognise all undemocratic decrees that rob our peoples/communities of the right to ownership and control of our lives and resources, which were enacted without our participation and consent. These include the Land Use Decree and The Petroleum Decree etc. 3. We demand the immediate withdrawal from Ijawland of all military forces of occupation and repression by

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3234-469: The NIgerian government without adequate compensation or development in the region. The organization has also been involved in broader national issues advocating for federalism, resource control and the protection of the minority rights in Nigeria. The IYC has produced several notable leaders who have played significant roles in Nigerian politics and the Niger Delta struggle. The organizations leadership

3311-671: The Nigerian State b. That but for the economic interests of the imperialists , the Ijaw ethnic nationality would have evolved as a distinct and separate sovereign nation, enjoying undiluted political, economic, social, and cultural AUTONOMY . c. That the division of the Southern Protectorate into East and West in 1939 by the British marked the beginning of the balkanisation of a hitherto territorially contiguous and culturally homogeneous Ijaw people into political and administrative units, much to our disadvantage. This trend

3388-456: The Nigerian State. Any oil company that employs the services of the armed forces of the Nigerian State to "protect" its operations will be viewed as an enemy of the Ijaw people. Family members of military personnel stationed in Ijawland should appeal to their people to leave the Ijaw area alone. 4.Ijaw youths in all the communities in all Ijaw clans in the Niger Delta will take steps to implement these resolutions beginning from 30 December 1998, as

3465-534: The Nigerian state. We note the drastic reduction of the Derivation Principle from 100% (1953), 50% (1960), 45% (1970), 20% (1975) 2% (1982), 1.5% (1984) to 3% (1992 to date), and a rumored 13% in Abacha 's 1995 undemocratic and unimplemented Constitution. i. That the violence in Ijawland and other parts of the Niger Delta area, sometimes manifesting in intra and inter ethnic conflicts are sponsored by

3542-583: The Plan is through Voluntary Partnership Agreements with timber producing countries. The European Union Timber Regulation was adopted in 2010 and went into effect 3 March 2013. A Greenpeace investigation published in May 2014 demonstrates that EU Timber Regulation is ineffective if fraudulent paperwork is accepted at face value and there is not sufficient enforcement by EU authorities. The Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance ( AFLEG ) Ministerial Conference

3619-529: The State and transnational oil companies to keep the communities of the Niger Delta area divided, weak and distracted from the causes of their problems. j. That the recent revelations of the looting of national treasury by the Abacha junta is only a reflection of an existing and continuing trend of stealing by public office holders in the Nigerian state. We remember the over 12 billion dollars Gulf war windfall, which

3696-668: The birthplace of Major Isaac Adaka Boro , an Ijaw nationalist who in 1966 proclaimed "the Niger Delta People's Republic". On 11 December 1998, a group of 5000 Ijaw presented the Kaiama Declaration, which stated that all land and natural resources (including mineral resources) within the Ijaw territory "belong to Ijaw communities"; and also demanded that the IYC cease to recognize all decrees "enacted without our participation and consent". In line with these statements,

3773-463: The complete lack of concern for ecological rehabilitation , in the light of the Oloibiri experience, is a signal of impending doom for the peoples of Ijawland. g. That the degradation of the environment of Ijawland by transnational oil companies and the Nigerian State arise mainly because Ijaw people have been robbed of their natural rights to ownership and control of their land and resources through

3850-570: The declaration and stated that he will "convince the governors of the South-South and the Southern governors to adopt the Kaiama declaration on resource control." Ijaw Youth Council The Ijaw Youth Council was founded in Kaiama, Bayelsa State on the 11th day of December, 1998 during a period of Intense activism and agitation for the rights of the Niger Delta people, with Dr. Felix Tuodolo as pioneer president.. The IYC emerged as

3927-544: The demand side, such as an increasing regulation of trade as part of the international lumber industry . Illegal logging is a pervasive problem, causing enormous damage to forests, local communities, and the economies of producer countries. The EU, as a major timber importer, has implemented the European Union Timber Regulation as a means to halt the import of illegally sourced wood products. The identification of illegally logged or traded timber

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4004-431: The environment.  The loss of trees and other vegetation cover can cause temperature increase, fewer crops, flood, increased greenhouse gases within the atmosphere, ecological imbalance, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity. The forest reserve in Nigeria spans approximately 10 million hectares, constituting over 10% of the total land area, which is around 96.2 million hectares or 923,768 square kilometers. The population

4081-424: The forest belt have received relatively little emphasis, often overshadowed by discussions about environmental degradation and climate change. This study delves into the patterns and trends of illegal wood logging, forest exploitation, and how youths adapt and survive in Nigeria's South-West forest belt. A 2007 United Nations Environment Program report estimated that between 73% and 88% of timber logged in Indonesia

4158-400: The forests were readily accessed and exploited not only by locals but also by foreign criminal networks. Particularly alarming were the activities of illegal traders of forest products, often facilitated by foreigners seeking rare and hard wood species for European and American markets. This resulted in rampant destruction and felling of trees on both communal and individual farmlands. From

4235-413: The government's attempts to implement effective measures to combat illegal logging have not yielded the desired results, with only 6% of the nation's land area designated as protected. According to global data, a significant majority of unemployed individuals in developing regions, both in rural and urban areas, constitute about two-thirds of the total unemployed youth. In Nigeria, unemployment emerged as

4312-714: The instrumentality of undemocratic Nigerian State legislations such as the Land Use Decree of 1978, the Petroleum Decrees of 1969 and 1991, the Lands (Title Vesting etc.) Decree No. 52 of 1993 (Osborne Land Decree), the National Inland Waterways Authority Decree No. 13 of 1997 etc. h. That the principle of Derivation in Revenue Allocation has been consciously and systematically obliterated by successive regimes of

4389-520: The land for agricultural purposes. The 1999 Forestry Law states that it is essential for companies to be endorsed by authorities in respective regions with an IPK permit, a timber harvesting permit, for legal approval of their deforestation activities. Many of these corporations could circumvent this red tape, maximise revenue profits by employing illegal logging activities as lax law enforcement and porous law regulations in large developing countries like Indonesia undermine forestry conservation efforts. In

4466-532: The logging that takes place globally is illegal, especially in open and vulnerable areas such as the Amazon Basin , Central Africa , Southeast Asia and the Russian Federation . Available figures and estimates must be treated with caution. Governments tend to underestimate the situation, given that high estimates of illegal logging may cause embarrassment as these to suggest ineffective enforcement of legislation or, even worse, bribery and corruption . On

4543-656: The only source of information apart from state institutions, which probably clearly underestimates the true figures. For example, the Republic of Estonia calculated a rate of 1% illegally harvested timber in 2003, whereas it was estimated to reach as much as 50% by the NGO "Estonian Green Movement". In Latvia, the situation is comparable; anecdotal evidence points towards 25% of logging being illegal. Illegal logging has detrimental impacts, including deforestation and, consequently, global warming. It leads to biodiversity loss, weakens

4620-413: The other hand, environmental NGOs publish alarming figures to raise awareness and emphasize the need for stricter conservation measures. For companies in the forestry sector, publications making high estimates can be regarded as potentially threatening to their reputation and their market perspective, including the competitiveness of wood in comparison to other materials. However, for many countries, NGOs are

4697-453: The political crisis in Nigeria is mainly about the struggle for the control of oil mineral resources which account for over 80% of GDP, 95 %of national budget and 90% of foreign exchange earnings. From which, 65%, 75% and 70% respectively are derived from within the Ijaw nation. Despite these huge contributions, our reward from the Nigerian State remains avoidable deaths resulting from ecological devastation and military repression. f. That

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4774-493: The political front, the Indonesian governmental role in curbing deforestation has largely been criticised. Corruption amongst local Indonesian officials fuels cynicism with regard to the governmental clampdown on illegal logging activities. In 2008, the acquittal of a proprietor for a timber firm, Adelin Lis, alleged for illegal logging further galvanised public opinion and drew criticisms at the Indonesian political institution. Due to

4851-406: The presence of trans-national criminal organizations, widespread drug use and trafficking, and inadequately equipped security personnel and forest guards to combat illegal logging, lumbering cartels, clandestine markets, and sawmills for rare forest products, have driven many youths to explore opportunities in forest-related businesses. Illegal logging, lumbering, and sawmilling can be understood as

4928-554: The private sector. The event was co-hosted by the World Bank and the Government of Indonesia . The meeting included detailed technical discussions of forest law enforcement in relation to governance, forest policy and forest management as well as ministerial engagement. The Conference's primary aims were to share analysis on forest law enforcement; explore priority issues of forest law enforcement, including illegal logging in

5005-424: The resolution of the issue of resource ownership and control in the Ijaw area of the Niger Delta 5. Ijaw youths and Peoples will promote the principle of peaceful coexistence between all Ijaw communities and with our immediate neighbours, despite the provocative and divisive actions of the Nigerian State, transnational oil companies and their contractors. We offer a hand of friendship and comradeship to our neighbors:

5082-475: The rule of law, and hampers responsible forest management. Moreover, it fosters corruption, tax evasion, and diminishes revenue for producer countries, limiting their capacity to invest in sustainable development. The economic and social consequences disproportionately affect the poor and disadvantaged, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars in timber revenue annually. Furthermore, the illegal trade of forest resources undermines international security , and

5159-467: The size and scope of Burma's forests, it is difficult for government organisations like Forest Department to regulate logging. There is a high demand for timber from Myanmar's neighbours–notably Thailand and China –who have depleted their forests much more than Myanmar. As a result, numerous illegal logging operations have sprung up near the Thai-Burmese border and in the province of Kachin along

5236-536: The small and medium-sized companies that are behaving responsibly and ready to play by fair rules. Illegal logging has been a problem in Madagascar for decades and is perpetuated by extreme poverty and government corruption . Often taking the form of selective logging , the trade has been driven by high international demand for expensive, fine-grained lumber such as rosewood and ebony . Historically, logging and exporting in Madagascar have been regulated by

5313-438: The social landscape, small-scale subsistence farmers in rural areas, who received minimal education, employ a basic method of slash-and-burn to support their agricultural activities. This rudimentary agricultural technique involves the felling of forest trees before a dry season and, subsequently, the burning of these trees in the following dry season to provide fertilisers to support their crop activities. This agricultural practice

5390-706: The struggle of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop), Egi Women's Movement etc. 7. We extend our hand of solidarity to the Nigerian oil workers (NUPENG and PENGASSAN ) and expect that they will see this struggle for freedom as a struggle for humanity 8. We reject the present transition to civil rule programme of the Abubakar regime, as it

5467-440: The unabating damage done to our fragile natural environment and to the health of our people is due in the main to uncontrolled exploration and exploitation of crude oil and natural gas which has led to numerous oil spillages , uncontrolled gas flaring, the opening up of our forests to loggers , indiscriminate canalisation, flooding, land subsidence, coastal erosion , earth tremors etc. Oil and gas are exhaustible resources and

5544-409: The wildlife trade monitoring network, strives to monitor the illegal trade of timber and provide expertise in policy and legal reviews. It is estimated that illegal logging on public land alone causes losses in assets and revenue in excess of US$ 10 billion annually. Although exact figures are difficult to calculate, given the illegal nature of the activity, decent estimates show that more than half of

5621-485: The youths also called for the military to withdraw from the region, and warned oil companies that they would be regarded as a "real enemy" if they relied on military protection. THE KAIAMA DECLARATION BY THE IJAW YOUTHS OF THE NIGER DELTA BEING COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE ALL IJAW YOUTHS CONFERENCE WHICH WAS HELD IN THE TOWN OF KAIAMA THIS 11TH DAY OF DECEMBER 1998. INTRODUCTION We, Ijaw youths drawn from over five hundred communities from over 40 clans that make up

5698-677: Was about 170,790 in 2006 (National Directorate of Employment, 2012). However, the expanse of marked forest lands has been gradually decreasing due to the rampant tree felling and activities of illegal loggers across the nation. For example, the Federal Department of Forestry (2010) estimated that Nigeria's forests are depleting at an annual rate of 3.5%. The country previously had around 20% of its area covered by natural forests, but this has dwindled to about 10%. The loss of approximately 60% of natural forests occurred due to encroachments for agriculture, extensive logging, and urbanization from

5775-513: Was formed in the town of Kaiama after 5,000 Ijaw people representing over 40 Ijaw clans, chose to articulate their aspirations for the Ijaw people , and to demand an end to 40 years of environmental damage and underdevelopment in the region. Kaiama is a small town in Western Ijaw, about half an hour's drive from Yenagoa , the capital of Bayelsa State. Historically Kaiama is famous for being

5852-613: Was held in Yaoundé , Cameroon, in October 2003. The meeting drew together ministers and stakeholders from Africa, Europe, and North America to consider how partnerships between producers, consumers, donors, civil society and the private sector could address illegal forest exploitation and associated trade in Africa. The AFLEG conference, the second regional forest law enforcement and governance meeting after East Asia, resulted in endorsement of

5929-482: Was looted by Babangida and his cohorts We note that over 70% of the billions of dollars being looted by military rulers and their civilian collaborators is derived from our ecologically devastated Ijawland. Based on the foregoing, we, the youths of Ijawland, hereby make the following resolutions to be known as the Kaiama Declaration: 1. All land and natural resources (including mineral resources) within

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