Youth Engagement in Conservation of Endangered Tree Species – Lessons from the Conservation of Kopak Tree within Zaria Region Mr. Muktar Ahmad (RCE Zaria, Nigeria) RCE Youth Webinar: Art, Actions, and Perspectives for Biodiversity Conservation 12 August, 2022

1. YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN
CONSERVATION OF
ENDANGERED TREE SPECIE
– LESSONS FROM THE
CONSERVATION OF KOPAK
TREE WITHIN ZARIA
REGION
Presented at the
RCE Youth Webinar 'Art, Actions, and
Perspectives for Biodiversity Conservation’
12th August, 2022
Presented by:
Ahmad Muktar
Youth Coordinator, RCE Zaria - Nigeria

2. "The youth hold the keys to unlocking a
sustainable environment"

3. • According to the United Nations Population Division, there are
1.2 billion youths aged 15-24 in the world in 2015, with that
number expected to rise by 2030.
• Africa's youth population was estimated to be 226 million in
2015, and this figure is expected to rise by 2030.
• Approximately 70% of Nigeria's population is under 30, and
42% is under the age of 15.
• More than one-third of SDG targets explicitly or implicitly
mention young people, with a focus on engagement.
• Youth Engagement is essential in achieving the sustainable
development targets.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE YOUTHS

4. • Youth are an important constituency in biodiversity
conservation and have a significant impact on it.
• Youth connection biodiversity conservation and improvement
of quality of life across sectors is critical for the future.
• They are creative, problem-solving-oriented, and frequently
promote active consumerism.
• The importance of protecting biodiversity has been connected
to everyday life.
• Youth are future policy makers and decision-makers, and they
must understand the importance of biodiversity conservation.
YOUTHS AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

5. ZARIA URBAN AREA IN CONTEXT
• Zaria region has an approximately 1million population, over
70% of the population are youth.
• The area lies within the tropical savannah region and an
estimated 3.8% of the vegetation cover is annually lost to
economic activities.
• Rapid spatio-temporal changes has brought about loss of
important specie in the region that have economic, cultural,
environmental, and social significance.
• 10 species out of the International Union for Conservation
(IUCN) that are peculiar to the Zaria region

6. THE RIMI (KOPAK) TREE
• Rimi trees is amongst
endangered tree specie in
Zaria and have historical
and cultural significance.
• Rimi tree can have a
lifespan of up to 500 years.
• Produce fibres that are used
for making, pillows while the
stem are used to produce
plank wood.
• Early warning for raining
season.

7. PROJECT GOALS AND STRATEGIES
• Create a geospatial database
of vegetation change,
endangered tree species,
monitoring and evaluation
framework;
• Reverse, Restore and Protect
specific species considered
engendered in the region;
• Balance the exploitation of
endangered tree species
through ESD policy
framework.
• The first approach was to
development of the community
participatory training model.
• Youth were mobilized to identify
and geotag the location of these
trees.
• Traditional Mai shayi Joint (tea
shop) was utilized for information
dissemination.
• Community Nursery farm were
established.
PROJECT GOALS STRATEGIES ADOPTED

8. CHALLENGES AND LESSONS
• Lack of access to information
• Lack of public awareness
about the importance of plant
cover protection
• Over dependance on trees for
energy and economic
activities
• The inclusion of youth in ESD
projects is critical to the project's
success.
• Geographic Information System
is an attractive tool for tracking
endangered tree species
• When youths understand the
values of endangered species,
they are more receptive to
conservation.
• ESD rely heavily on information
dissemination, social media
handles and traditional
communication tools are
important.
CHALLENGES LESSONS

9. FUTURE STRATEGY
LOCAL EFFORT
• Establish community nursery farms
• Work with the Kaduna State Government to
enact a law prohibiting the cutting down of the
identified 10 species and to be managed by
the Ministry of Forestry and Kaduna State
Urban Development Board.
GLOBAL EFFORT
• Mobilize youths within the RCE Network to
expand the scope.
• Establish endangered species within the
territory of host RCE.
• Geotag the tree specie.
• Create an online platform where each data
would be uploaded and visualize.

10. THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING