Nigeria
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.
Meeting the Challenge
Our solutions to protecting Nigeria's unique biodiversity:
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.