Harnessing Nigeria's Forest Resources for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century

Forests are critical natural resources the world over, providing a vast range of benefits to civilizations above and beyond their essential role as habitation and ecological regulators of biological ecosystems. Such benefits have developed essentially as resources which individuals can make use of for fuel, lumber, and recreational or commercial purposes. However, in Nigeria, these resources are not fully harnessed or exploited. This study thus examines the role of forest resources in the sustainable development of 21st century Nigeria. It investigated the historical background of forestry in Nigeria and discussed the types, impact, and challenges accompanying the harvest of forest resources in Nigeria. The study contends that even though forest resources are vital for the sustainability of the Nigerian State, yet their potentials/resources are grossly under-tapped and underutilized. To maximally exploit these resources, the paper recommended inter-alia that; concerted efforts must be made to stamp out the challenges bedevilling the harvest of the resources under review. The paper's conclusion is based on the examined issues. It adopted interdisciplinary methodology, making use of majorly secondary sources. None of these sources are inferior to the other, rather each of them complements one another as historical reconstruction demands.