Cross River Assembly Demands Forest Land Reclassification Amid EU Market Threat

The Cross River State House of Assembly has called on the state government to urgently reassess its forest reserves, citing illegal activities, ecological degradation, and the looming risk of European Union trade sanctions.

At a plenary session held on Tuesday, lawmakers urged the government to identify severely degraded portions of the forest and declassify them, enabling local farmers to engage in agriculture and sustain their livelihoods.

Leading the motion was Hon. Bette Obi, who represents the Boki 1 State Constituency. Obi expressed concern that parts of the forest reserves have been stripped of their ecological value due to illegal mining, much of it allegedly carried out by foreign nationals.

“These areas no longer serve conservation purposes and should be reclassified to allow agricultural use,” Obi argued.

He emphasized that empowering the State Forestry Commission is essential for protecting the remaining reserves from further exploitation and maintaining their biological integrity.

The lawmaker drew attention to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a new set of rules ensuring that commodities like timber, palm oil, and cocoa are not linked to deforestation or environmental degradation.

“If Cross River’s products are traced to degraded forest areas, they may be banned from EU markets,” Obi warned.

Other lawmakers echoed his concerns, stressing that urgent policy changes were needed to protect the livelihoods of local farmers and maintain access to European export markets.

• Thorough evaluation of all state-owned forest reserves.

• Declassification of lands that are no longer ecologically viable.

• Empowerment of the State Forestry Commission to halt illegal mining.

• Alignment with EUDR requirements to avoid sanctions and trade bans.