The Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry, Engr Taiwo Oludotun, has officially opened the Collect Earth and Mapathon Data Collection Training, describing the programme as a vital step towards strengthening data-driven forest governance and biodiversity conservation in Nigeria.
The training, organised under the FAO–GEF7 Biodiversity Project, brought together representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, officials from federal and state governments, members of the National and State Project Implementation Units, development partners, resource persons, and participants from relevant institutions.
Speaking recently at the opening ceremony, Oludotun commended the FAO and the Global Environment Facility for their continued technical and financial support for biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management.
He noted that the FAO–GEF7 Biodiversity Project had demonstrated the value of partnerships, capacity development, and the application of global best practices adapted to local conditions.
The commissioner also praised the NPIU and SPIU for their coordination and professionalism in organising the training, stating that their efforts reflected effective collaboration between national and state institutions in environmental management.
Oludotun said forest resources provide critical ecosystem services, support livelihoods, and contribute to climate regulation, soil conservation, and water management. He added that these resources were increasingly threatened by illegal logging, encroachment, unsustainable land-use practices, and the impacts of climate change.
He further emphasised that reliable and timely data are essential for addressing these challenges, stressing that tools such as Collect Earth and Mapathon enable more accurate monitoring of land-use changes and forest conditions through geospatial technology, satellite imagery, and participatory data collection methods.
“In fact, the training is a strategic investment in human capacity, and I believe the participants will gain practical skills in data collection, interpretation, and validation,” Oludotun said.
He added, “These skills will strengthen institutional capacity to monitor forest cover change, assess degradation trends, identify biodiversity hotspots, and support evidence-based planning and policy formulation. The training is also expected to improve reporting under national frameworks and international conventions related to biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable land management.”
He urged participants to engage fully in the programme, leverage the expertise of facilitators, and ensure that knowledge gained is applied effectively within their respective institutions, noting that the success of the training would ultimately be measured by its impact on sustainable forest management and biodiversity protection on the ground.
In his remarks, the Chief Technical Advisor for the GEF7 Biodiversity Project, Professor Segun Oladoye, described the Global Environmental Facility as an institution specialising in supporting and financing environmental and livelihood initiatives.
He outlined the project’s four components, each with distinct activities, including a capacity-building programme, which directly led to the current training session. Prof. Oladoye emphasised that participants would learn to use specialised software for data collection and interpretation and gain practical knowledge to develop solutions for challenges faced in their respective workplaces.
A principal forest officer from the Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Orogun Ademola, said his participation was motivated by a desire to acquire updated knowledge on the latest geospatial technologies.
Other participants, including Titilayo Omogie from the Edo State Forest Commission and Johnson Mafiejor from the Delta State Ministry of Environment, also highlighted the training’s benefits and expressed their appreciation to the organisers for the initiative.
