Nigeria

Nigeria

LAND

Quick Facts:

Land
Area

92,376,800 hectares (923,768 sq. km.)(356,668 sq. mi.)

Key Landmarks
Key Landmarks

Gurara Falls
Owu Falls
Zuma Rock

Animals
Wildlife

baboons, blue duiker, bushbuck, African buffalo, pangolin, elephant, lion

Primary Ecosystems
Primary Ecosystems

montane grasslands, savannas, rainforests

Population
Population

190,886,311 (2017)

Overview

Nigeria is home to a wealth of biodiversity within its seven national parks.

Nigeria lies on the western part of Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. It contains several large urban centers like the capital city Abuja and is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economies, relying heavily on oil as its main source of foreign exchange earnings.

Despite its wealth of oil, the country faces significant problems with wealth disparity, inadequate power supply, lack of infrastructure, and an inconsistent regulatory environment such as judicial enforcement of national park legislation.

There are seven national parks in Nigeria — Chad Basin, Cross River, Gashaka Gumti, Kainji, Kamuku, Old Oyo, and Okomu National Parks — all of which are ecologically and culturally important where illegal hunting and human settlements are prohibited if enforced.

Solutions

 

Our solutions to protecting Nigeria's unique biodiversity:

Land
National parks are the key to wildlife conservation in Nigeria.

African Wildlife Foundation is currently working with the Nigerian National Parks Service as a consultant to restructure and reposition the park’s potential ecotourism opportunities.

AWF will develop a detailed analysis of the conservation context, management structures, and corporate structures for each protected area to create a business plan aimed at the long-term sustainability of each park. Ultimately, the consultancy will highlight areas that need improvement to better protect the biodiversity of wildlife in Nigeria.

Item