Africa Nature, National Park Service partner to tackle illegal logging

The Africa Nature Investors (ANI) and the National Park Service (NPS) have collaborated to tackle illegal logging, poaching, encroachment by farmers, and other criminal activities in the park.

Lawrence Osaze, the conservator of Okomu National Park, who disclosed this to the media described the partnership as a great synergy for conservation efforts.

He said the partnership which started in 2022 is already yielding results for the benefit of the park as part of efforts to boost its conservation and tourism potential.

“ANI foundation was invited to the partnership to contribute its quota to the sustainability of Okomu National Park, following the eco-tourism sustainability scheme it brought to bear in its ongoing partnership with the NPS at Gashaka, Gumti in Taraba and Adamawa States respectively,” Osaze said.

He noted that with this partnership and the support of stakeholders, the park, already blessed with different species of wildlife and other natural resources, would boost tourism and raise Nigeria’s GDP, thereby diversifying from crude oil and gas.

“Before this partnership, we had a serious challenge of illegal logging around the place. But, as we joined forces together, the story today is entirely different, the park is relatively peaceful, and logging and other activities inimical to the growth of the park are at the barest minimum,” he stressed.

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According to Osaze, ANI Foundation and Okomu National Park have been working well together in the areas of park protection and community engagements, among others.

“With the partnership, I desire to make Okomu National Park the eco-tourism hub in Nigeria, where tourists across the globe seeking pleasure patronise”, he added.

On his part, Peter Abanyam, ANI Foundation’s project manager for Okomu National Park, said that although the park is the smallest national park in the country in terms of size, it is abundantly rich in terms of species diversity.

Abanyam claimed that the partnership aimed to make Africa’s nature and wildlife a source of pride to Africans and to demonstrate that appropriate private sector investment can make nature conservation sustainable and profitable in a manner that benefits local and regional development

“Okomu National Park is one of the biodiversity hotspots within this region in Nigeria, especially the African forest elephant, which is a flagship species,” he said.

Adding that: “Okomu is also important for the monkey species known as the white-throated monkey, which is endemic in this park.”

He emphasised that ANI has commenced upgrading of infrastructure in the park, as well as recruited, equipped and trained forest rangers that have been deployed on regular anti-poaching patrols to curtail illegal activities such as logging, and farm encroachment, among others.