Nigerian forest campaigner Odigha Odigha was in London last week spreading the message about the need for conservation in his country’s rainforests.

Mr Odigha, a lifelong campaigner for the protection of Nigeria’s last remaining rainforests, spoke to UK media while on his way to San Francisco to collect a Goldman Environmental Prize, which recognises people who take great risks to safeguard the environment.

In the UK he stressed the importance of the need for sustainable development in Nigerian rainforest communities where only 10% of the country’s original tree cover is left.

He accused international companies of being the biggest cause of deforestation through felling of mahogany and ebony, claiming that local people only receive £1 for each mahogany tree worth about US$20,000.

&#8220If we continue logging, in the next 10-15 years we’ll have nothing left to log”

Odigha Odigha

And Mr Odigha warned: “If we continue logging, in the next 10-15 years we’ll have nothing left to log.”