…as investors pledge to protect River Benue from drying up

By Chris Ochayi

Disturbed by incidents of logging, excessive poaching, cattle herding among others, which have become a major threat to sustenance of national parks, the federal government is collaborating with the private sector in order to conserve and revive national parks across the country.

Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril, who disclosed this in Abuja, during the inauguration of the Local Organising Committee, LOC, for the implementation of Africa Nature Investors project in Gashaka Gumti National Park, said the move was aimed at keying into the Economy Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP, of the federal government to diversify the economy.

The minister explained that it was at this backdrop that the government had decided to partner with the Africa Nature Investors, ANI, a Kenya private sector player, to work towards protecting and improving the Gashaka Gumti National Park.

L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federal Abubakar Malami, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of State Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen Udoma Udo Udoma during the federal Executive council (FEC) meeting held at the Council Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung and Minister of State Mines and Steels, Alhaji Bawa Bwari Chamber in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. NOV 7 2018.

“I am delighted to be here with you on this auspicious occasion of the inauguration of the local organizing committee constituted to steer the implementation of the partnership between the National Park Service and Africa Nature Investors for the provision of Technical and Financial support for Conservation activities in Gashaka Gumti National Park.

“It would be recalled that the National Park Service had in 2017 entered into a partnership agreement with Africa Nature Investors for the provision of supports to scale up conservation activities in Gashaka Gumti National Park with a view to build up the fauna and flora resources to boost eco-tourism.

“The partnership is in tandem with the present government’s determination to develop the economy through tourism by turning the Country into a major destination for tourism and investment in Africa”, the minister stated.

Jubril explained further that the committee is made up of eight (8) members drawn from the National Park Service, Africa Nature Investors and a representative from the local community of Gashaka Gumti National Park as joint responsibilities among the parties in line with the provision of the partnership agreement.

He emphasised that the role of Public Private Partnership in conservation activities cannot be over-emphasized particularly with the deficit in infrastructural facilities, technical and financial support in the area of conservation, research and tourism activities in our protected areas.

“This informed the decision for this collaboration between an agency under my Ministry (National Park Service) and a registered not for profit charity organization established by a group of Nigerian Professionals who are committed to acting as a catalyst to protect critical ecosystems of Nigeria’s

wilderness areas (Africa Nature Investors).

“The collaboration was conceived and entered into through proper consultation with relevant stakeholders such as Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) and culminated into a visit to Kenya to confirm the credibility of the firm (Africa Nature Investors) before the agreement was signed.

“Conservation is really about people’s relationship with wildlife and nature. Therefore, I wish to advise Africa Nature Investors that in their management and protection strategies in Gashaka Gumti National Park, opportunities should be provided to the local community so as to maintain their traditional way of life in a modern and sustainable context through progressive and innovative livelihood initiatives.

“Moreover, you are to ensure sustainable funding to improve infrastructure and make the Park’ a global tourist haven. It should however be emphasized that the partnership agreement between the two organizations which provides for the constitution of this local organizing committee that is being inaugurated today is subject to the policies and guidelines to be issued from time to by Bureau of Public Enterprises on the partial commercialization. The role of this committee is mainly to enhance effective implementation of the partnership agreement.

“I wish to therefore advice you that you should endeavour to ensure that your roles and responsibility as members of this committee do not in any way contravene the provisions of the enabling Act of the National Park Service and other extent laws of the Government.

Responding, the Africa Nature Investors, ANI, assured that its tale-over of the Gashaka-Gumti National Park would help to prevent the threat posed by ongoing logging, poaching and excessive cattle herding on the River Benue.

ANI raised the alarm that such activities within the sources of Rive Benue as mountains and forests may lead to the drying up of the Rive Benue if urgent steps are not taken.

The Director, Investment, Africa Nature Investors, ANI, Tunde Morakinyo, who spoke during the inauguration, said the first point of call is the protection of Gashaka-Gumti National Park, which is the sources of water for River Benue which millions of people depend on.

He said the Southern part of the park is very mountainous, covered with hills and forests, pointing out that this mountainous area is one of the most important watersheds for River Benue.

“As you can imagine, millions of people depend on River Benue for water, for fishing and for all kinds of things.

“So, Gashaka-Gumti is a place of strategic importance for Nigeria as a whole.  And yet Gashaka-Gumti is under threat from logging. So the forest within the park will disappear due to logging. Many of animals in the park are under the threat of poaching.

“And also, there is a problem of uncontrolled cattle herding. Cattle herders set fire on the savannah which goes on to burn the forest in the park. Unless these threats are controlled, Gashaka-Gumti could be destroyed in quite a short time. And if Gashaka-Gumti is destroyed, that could affect the lives of millions of Nigerians living the downstream who depend on River Benue. So, we chose the protection of Gashaka-Gumti as our first project”, Morakinyo noted.

He explained that Gashaka Gumti National Park, is Nigeria’s largest national park covering 6,400 km located on the border with Cameroon in Taraba and Adamawa States that contains Nigeria’s highest Mountain – Chappal Waddi at 2,400m above sea level, insisting that the Park’s mountains and forests are some of the most important sources of water for the River Benue upon which millions of Nigerians depend downstream.