The Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Ibrahim Goni, has raised the alarm over the rapid depletion of Nigeria’s forest resources, revealing that the country is losing nearly 300 hectares of forest daily.
Goni disclosed this while receiving members of the Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN), led by its Chairman, Mrs. Joycelyn Ellakeche Adah, during a courtesy visit to the service’s headquarters in Abuja.
He identified illegal logging, hunting, mining, insecurity, kidnapping and banditry as major threats to Nigeria’s forests and protected areas, warning that continued destruction was worsening environmental degradation and advancing desertification.
The Conservator-General called for stronger collaboration between the National Park Service and environmental journalists to raise public awareness, improve conservation reporting and promote the protection of the country’s natural resources.
“We are comfortable having you as partners. We are also comfortable collaborating with you so that our issues can be given widespread visibility,” Goni said.
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The Conservator-General disclosed that Nigeria currently has 17 national parks, although only 13 are operational.
He explained that the number increased from seven following the establishment of 10 additional parks shortly before the end of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, the expansion aims to promote vegetation regeneration, restore degraded areas, mitigate climate change and strengthen Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Goni described insecurity as a major challenge, noting that forests serve as interconnected spaces that criminal elements can exploit as hideouts.
He commended the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for their efforts in protecting forests and national parks.
On illegal mining, he revealed that operations conducted with the Nigerian Army in Gashaka-Gumti National Park, spanning Taraba and Adamawa states, resulted in the closure of two mining sites and the dislodgement of more than 4,000 miners.
He stressed the need for alternative livelihood opportunities to address the socioeconomic consequences of enforcement operations. He also cited ongoing efforts to tackle illegal mining in Oyo State and the arrest of about 17 miners in Rivers State.
Goni said Nigeria also serves as a transit route for illegal wildlife traffickers moving animal specimens from neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger and Cameroon, to seaports for onward transportation.
He disclosed that the National Park Service, Nigeria Customs Service, NESREA and the Nigeria Police Force had established an inter-agency committee that had conducted raids and seized live animals, carcasses and other wildlife specimens.
He further highlighted flooding, erosion, pollution, siltation and climate change as pressing environmental concerns, noting that plastic waste entering rivers and oceans was worsening pollution.
He said flood-warning equipment had been installed in several locations to alert residents on impending floods.
The Conservator-General also urged journalists to support public awareness on Ebola prevention and responsible interaction with wildlife, emphasising appropriate hygiene and preventive measures.
“Noting the links between wildlife and the transmission of certain infectious diseases to humans,” he explained.
He said the National Park Service was making efforts to contribute to preventing the spread of the disease and encouraged public awareness of appropriate preventive measures.
He reiterated the service’s readiness to work with EMCAN to give wider visibility to environmental challenges and promote the preservation of forests, wildlife and protected areas across the country.
Responding, EMCAN Chairman, Mrs. Joycelyn Ellakeche Adah, called for stronger engagement between environmental journalists and government agencies to improve information sharing and public understanding of conservation activities.
The EMCAN chairman noted that the association had about 36 to 37 members, but only three or four media organisations regularly covered activities of the National Park Service, leaving many environmental correspondents without adequate access to information about the agency.
The chairman added that the association was ready to partner with the service to publicise its conservation initiatives and educate Nigerians about the institution’s responsible for managing the country’s national parks and protecting wildlife.
