Over 43 million Nigerians are currently being threatened by the adverse effect of desertification, thereby undermining the means of their livelihoods, according to the Ministry of Environment on Saturday.

John Odey, Nigeria's Minister of Environment, stated this at a press conference to mark the 2009 World Desertification Day in Abuja on Friday, the Lagos-based Champion newspaper reported.

According to him, most affected people are less privileged in the country that are unable to alleviate the effect of the challenges being faced as a result of desertification.

He said the Nigerian federal government is doggedly devoted to combating the challenges of desertification and drought in the country.

"On this World Day to combat desertification, we would like to remind everyone that threats to soil security, unleashed desertification, land degradation and the effects of drought constitute a peril to securing our common future," he told the press conference.

"Here in Nigeria, the problem of desertification is threatening the livelihoods of over 43 million Nigerians and our greatest challenge is that the most vulnerable are the less privileged in our society, who cannot on their own mitigate the emerging multifaceted problems of desertification," he added.

The minister said the key solution to the problems of desertification lies in building an effective action-plan at local level, taking a holistic approach to supporting people's livelihood, building adaption measures to reduce the vulnerability of the people.  He quoted the United Nations (UN) as saying that desertification and land degradation affect one-third of the earth's surface, threatening the livelihood, well being and development of as many as one billion people.

He said nearly one-third of the world's cropland has become unproductive and abandoned in the past 40 years, adding that almost three quarters of rangelands show various symptoms of desertification.

Odey urged all the states, local governments and private sector to help in creating awareness to the people in their areas on ways of combating desertification and drought in their domain.

He added that the present administration is committed to ensuring that desertification is curbed in the country, thereby initiating a comprehensive a forestation program for the nation.