From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has granted an automatic employment for four graduating students of the Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan.
Honourable Lawal, made the announcement, during the 76th-83rd combined convocation ceremony for the award of national and higher national diplomas, held on Wednesday at the college.
The minister said: “In recognition of the exceptional performance of some of our graduating students, the Ministry of Environment has approved the employment offers for the two best Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates and the two best National Diploma (ND) graduates in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Technology”.
The minister who was represented by the Conservator-General, National Parks Service, Ibrahim Goni, said: “These outstanding students have demonstrated excellence throughout their academic journey and we believe they will be valuable assets in our ministry’s ongoing efforts to protect and manage Nigeria’s forests and natural resources. Their hard work has earned them this opportunity”.
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According to him, “As we face the growing challenges of deforestation, desertification, and biodiversity loss, innovation is key. We must embrace new technologies and practices that enhance forest management, reduce human impact on our natural resources, and promote sustainability.
“This institution will continue to thrive and produce excellent graduates as well as conduct cutting-edge research that promotes environmental sustainability”, he said.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Zacharia Buba Yaduma, who gave a brief history of the college, said the college was established in 1939 by the Colonial Administration and this eventually made it the premier college of Forestry in Sub Sahara Africa.
Adding that, the mandate of the college then was to train students through vocational skill acquisition with a view to supporting the logging of the country’s forest resources and export them to United Kingdom.
However, the college has over times transformed from training vocational students to National Diploma and Higher National Diploma awarding institution accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Yaduma, who received a merit award at the event said, “the skills acquired at the college are greatly needed to solve myriads of problems such as climate change, erosion, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, desertification and among others.
