The National Park Service is a paramilitary organization under the Federal Ministry of Environment. The Service has the mandate to conserve and preserve Nigeria’s natural and cultural heritage located at different ecological zones designated as national parks across the country. To accomplish this mandate, the Service undertakes onerous tasks such as; park surveillance, protection of endangered species, ethno-biological research, enforcement of relevant treaties and conventions to which Nigeria is signatory, amongst others. With the current low budgetary allocations by the Federal Government, the Service is presently looking outside the box to boost its development profile. Hence, the call for the recently concluded round table meeting for donor support from the private sector. The roundtable meeting was chaired by the Honourable Minister of State for Environment, Alh. Ibrahim Usman Jibril.
In a bid to raise the standards of the National Parks, the Service is ready to partner with the private sector through direct investments in ecotourism. Recently, the Federal Executive Council has approved the partial Commercialization of the National Park Service with three national parks; Cross River, Gashaka-Gumti and Kainji Lake chosen to serve as pilot projects.
With several achievements recorded, the Service is however constrained with numerous challenges and these include: unsustained provision of alternative livelihood, continued expansion of enclave communities in some of the National Parks, constant conflicts between the park staff and cattle graziers in the park, encroachment of the parks for farming and other human activities, lack of adequate and appropriate infrastructure for ecotourism in the parks, inadequate operational equipment (firearms, drones, power parachutes field vehicles, etc.), armed banditry and cattle rustling in and around some of the national parks.
In consequence of the above, areas of intervention by donors include: training of Rangers (arms handling, patrol/survival techniques, drill/general parade), Rangers welfare, training on research methodology, procurement of field equipment (patrol vehicles, camera traps, rug sack, tents, sleeping bags, GPS, cyber tracker, HD camera etc.), establishment of a Ranger Training school, rehabilitation of access roads/jeep tracks for anti-poaching patrols and park surveillance, community engagement, empowerment Programme for Local communities & production of Policy Document.
C-G National Park Service, Ibrahim M. Goni delivering the welcome address at the meeting & to his immediate right, the Honourable Minister of State for Environment, Alh. Ibrahim Usman Jibril
Minister of State for Environment, Alh. Ibrahim Usman Jibril alongside other dignitaries at the dinner after the meeting
Cross Section of the participants at the meeting
Cross Section of the intending donors at the meeting
Cross Section of the intending donors at the meeting
