…As ANI Foundation Holds Town Hall Meeting as Part of Ongoing Consultations

By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo

The Federal Government has called for renewed collaboration, stricter environmental protection and sustained security measures to safeguard Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria’s largest national park, and other protected areas across the country.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, made the call at the 7th Stakeholders’ Meeting of the Southern Sector of Gashaka Gumti National Park, organised by the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation.

He described the meeting as a demonstration of collective commitment to the future of the park and the country’s environmental heritage.

The Minister commended the partnership between the Federal Government and the ANI Foundation, noting that the collaboration has significantly improved conditions within the park and enhanced the livelihoods of surrounding support-zone communities.

He urged all stakeholders to continue supporting conservation efforts, stressing that Gashaka Gumti is not only the largest national park in Nigeria but also one of the most biodiverse protected areas globally.

In his welcome address, the Conservator-General of the National Park Service (NPS), Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni, described Gashaka Gumti as Nigeria’s most diverse protected area, surrounded by about 55 support-zone communities and six enclave communities.

According to him, the complex relationship between human activities and conservation makes stakeholder engagement critical to effective park management.

Dr. Goni explained that the meeting was convened to deliberate on key challenges, including security concerns, dry-season grazing, illegal settlements, mining activities and other unlawful practices.

He stressed that the park cannot thrive in isolation, warning that unresolved issues could heighten tensions, disrupt peaceful coexistence and undermine sustainable development.

Delivering a keynote address titled “Balancing Heritage and Preservation,” a retired Federal High Court judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, described the park as “the lungs of the region and the inheritance of future generations,” emphasising that its protection must be guided by legal clarity, fairness and human sensitivity.

On the proposal by the NPS and ANI Foundation to phase out grazing within the park’s boundaries, Justice Buba described it as a significant policy shift that must be implemented with compassion and respect for the rule of law.

Also speaking, Dr. George Okeyoyin, Senior Strategic Adviser to the ANI Foundation, said the town hall meeting was part of the Foundation’s ongoing consultations aimed at fostering cooperation among pastoralists, farmers and other stakeholders.

He noted that ANI Foundation initiatives—such as the vaccination of over 150,000 cattle, provision of livelihood support for women, and the establishment of savings and loan groups for women and youths—are designed to improve productivity while strengthening conservation awareness in host communities.