The House of Representatives has raised alarm over the growing destruction of trees and green spaces within the National Assembly complex and surrounding
The House of Representatives has raised alarm over the growing destruction of trees and green spaces within the National Assembly complex and the surrounding Three Arms Zone in Abuja.
The lawmakers described the trend as environmentally damaging and inconsistent with Nigeria’s climate commitments.
This followed a motion titled, “Promoting Sustainable Green Practices in the Three Arms Zone” sponsored Rep. Jesse Okey-Joe Onuakalusi (PDP–Lagos), during plenary on Tuesday.
Adopting the motion, the House mandated the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) to immediately implement a tree replacement policy, ensuring that for every tree cut down, at least three indigenous species are planted within or around the complex.
The House also directed the National Assembly management, in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to develop and enforce a green infrastructure development framework that integrates tree preservation, landscaping, and ecological protection into all future construction plans in the Three Arms Zone.
Additionally, the Committees on Environment and Habitat and FCT were instructed to liaise with the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the Ecological Fund Office, and relevant environmental agencies to conduct an audit of all green spaces lost to recent constructions and farming activities within the area.
The House further resolved to establish a legislative green task force to monitor and drive environmental sustainability efforts within the National Assembly precincts and condemned, in strong terms, the indiscriminate felling of trees and destruction of green areas in the Three Arms Zone.
Presenting the motion Rep. Onuakalusi, expressed concern that trees and green areas within the vicinity of the National Assembly and its environs were being indiscriminately cleared under the guise of development, construction, and farming — often without proper environmental impact assessments or plans for reforestation.
He noted that the ongoing projects aimed at improving infrastructure were being executed “without documented plans for green replacement or ecological safeguards.
“A drive out of the National Assembly shows heaps of firewood visibly littered across the area,” he lamented. “This clearly indicates that felled trees are being harvested for commercial or domestic use without any regulatory oversight or consideration for environmental sustainability.”
The lawmaker warned that such unchecked removal of trees contributes to environmental degradation, heatwaves, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss, stressing that it also contradicts Nigeria’s commitments to climate change mitigation, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the National Climate Change Policy.
Onuakalusi urged the parliament to take the lead in environmental stewardship, saying:
“The National Assembly, as a symbol of democratic governance, must lead by example in advancing policies and practices that promote sustainability and responsible urban development.”
He commended Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for his consistent advocacy for climate action and the promotion of green initiatives, adding that “the National Assembly should reflect this vision both in words and actions.”
The Speaker thereafter referred the motion to the Committees on Environment & Habitat and FCTA for further legislative action.
