The President of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Kaddu Sebunya has said that over a billion people provide the value of nature to yield inclusive growth in fighting poverty and unemployment.
According to him, Africa has the world’s youngest rapid growing population in providing the market in Kenya, Nigeria and 52 other countries.
Sebunya in a statement, yesterday (Wednesday) in Nairobi, Kenya disclosed: “The choices, opportunities, and constraints of young people will continue to play a major role in shaping Africa’s socioeconomic development.”
He declared that it will determine the Africa the world will have by 2032.
He noted that Africa’s need for economic development is non-negotiable.
“Let us not ignore the urgent need for us to recognize that Africa’s wealth is above the ground,” he noted.
According to him; “Africa’s development road map, should be underpinned by the reality that our lives and economies are embedded in mother nature.
He explained that the embodiments could be harnessed through biodiversity and the ecosystems services.
He further disclosed that it is the media that could effectively propel the dreams of the African masses fight poverty and unemployment.
“There is ultimate chaos in Africa that led to increased biodiversity loss,” he said; stating that it was caused by habitat fragmentation, climate change and illegal wildlife trade across the globe.
He warned: “In the future, an African who wants to see an African rhino – or possibly a chameleon – is more likely to do so if he/she travels to a wildlife sanctuary in Australia or other countries, than to a park on the continent.”
He noted that a once unthinkable idea, now looks likely, disclosing that; “Africans, have outsourced conservation to other folks.
According to him; conservation management and diligent environmental stewardship, are fairly reliable proxies for broader good governance.
Besides, he added that natural resource management and conservation is not only for the so-called tree huggers.
Citing COVID-19 pandemic, he said: “There is interconnection between nature, human health and well-being, and how unprecedented biodiversity loss threatens the health of both people and the planet.”
He warned that no one can save us, until we must clean up the mess that we created on the continent.
According to him, the media is to wield the power to shift the narrative for ensuring wildlife thrives in a modern Africa.
“The media can propose that African Governments do not have to choose development over conservation,” he said, cautioning that it is false choice.
