Poor legislative enforcement has been and still is a glaring setback for biodiversity conservation in nigeria. Hunting is a conservation tool that if done scientifically with robust monitoring will assist in the conservation of wildlife species trophy or safari hunting is key in sustainable wildlife utilization in zimbabwe trophy hunting is selective hunting of male species that no longer contributes to the production in any herd or pride. The nigerian wildlife management policy, institutional and legal. Problems of protected conservation area management. The potentials of traditional african cultural practices. The major problems include habitat degradation through uncontrolled logging, agricultural projects, industrial plantations, highway and urban development, and exploitation for fuelwood, overhunting and poaching steps taken so far to protect wildlife include the creation of one national park and eighteen game reserves, enactment. Then the possible advantages of traditional cultural practices compared to conventional conservation strategies are outlined. In nigeria the wildlife conservation implementations are taught in school, especially from the area of biology, ecology, geography and history. Poaching and its potential to impact wildlife tourism.
Pdf conservation strategies of wildlife resources in the. Nigeria lies on the western part of africa on the gulf of guinea. World wide fund for nature wwf, and wildlife conservation society wcs all lobby for more protected areas and are provided with more than one billion us dollars per year through public support. The country consists of several large plateaus separated by the valleys of the two major rivers, the niger and the benue, and their tributaries. The biggest of these parks is the gashaka gumti national park which stretches for 6402 km 2 in adamawa and taraba states. In nigeria, the national conservation strategy was adopted as a model for conservation and subsequently.
Our organogramour organogram national parks and wildlife policy. A wide array of animals, including endangered apes and pangolins, are hunted to feed both domestic and international. To achieve its object, the article appraises the relevant laws on biodiversity conservation operative in nigeria. One of the problems, poaching, is the focus of this paper.
Assess people awareness to wildlife conservation in the study area v. Ultimately, the consultancy will highlight areas that need improvement to better protect the biodiversity of wildlife in nigeria. Assessment of wildlife conservation awareness and practices. Wildlife conservation challenges in okomu national park, nigeria. Nigerias wildlife traders, who weathered ebola, eye post. Jan 06, 2015 more importantly, everything should be done to remove nigeria from the list of major players in the illegal trade in endangered wildlife by taking its conservation responsibilities more seriously. The main problems facing wildlife conservation in nigeria include poaching, over exploitation, lack of accurate data, bush burning that destroys wildlife habitat. Like other subsaharan african countries, similar challenges problems to wildlife conservation may be identified in ghana. The justification for community participation in natural resources conservation as viewed by international union for conservation of nature iucn, 1990 provides that human culture must be based on a respect for nature and that. International journal of rural development, environment. The main problems of conservation in nigeria are poaching, overfishing, lack of accurate data, bush burning, which destroys the wildlife. The major problems bush burning of wildlife habitat, overgrazing of local animals, environment predation, over hunting, poaching and. Nigeria has a population estimate of 170,507,539 million and is increasing with a rapid growth averaging 3.
Wcs, the w logo, we stand for wildlife, i stand for wildlife, and stand for wildlife are service marks of wildlife conservation society. Park encroachment, wildlife conservation, okomu national park. Yager department of wildlife and range management, federal university of agriculture, p. Most theories regarding nigerian biodiversity conservation systems suggest that there is generally a very low. Similar challenge of inadequacy of trained conservation staff is experienced in sarawak malaysia and kalimantan indonesia cross border protection of borneo iucn, undated. Jul 17, 2020 nigeria, a country of 200 million people, is home to a vast wildlife trade. The major problems he mentioned include habitat degradation through uncontrolled logging, agricultural projects, industrial plantations, highway and urban development, and exploitation of fuel wood, overhunting and poaching. It describes african economies that are currently dependent on wildlife resources and prescribes strategies for conserving biodiversity in both forests and animals in ecosystems across the continent. Wildlife studies in some areas in nigeria different studies have reported several wildlife i. A scientific approach presents comprehensive management strategies for the consumptive and nonconsumptive utilization of wildlife across subsaharan africa. Wildlife conservation in india india is the seventh largest country in the world and asias second largest nation with an area of 3,287,263 km 2, a national border of 15,200 km, and a coastline of 7516 km. Nigeria has a wide variety of different habitats, ranging from mangrove swamps and tropical rainforest to savanna with scattered clumps of trees. Problems and strategies of conservation of wildlife in africa 8.
Challenges of wildlife with therapeutic properties in. Protected areas worldwide not only in africa are often faced by serious. It contains several large urban centers like the capital city abuja and is one of subsaharan africas largest economies, relying heavily on oil as its main source of foreign exchange earnings. Pdf wildlife conservation challenges in okomu national park. The problems and challenges facing the sustainable of wildlife conservation and management in nigeria could be eradicated if local, state and national bodies join hands together to work as a single body and set up forest commission to look into restructuring, reform and strengthening the entire forest set. Jan 01, 1987 biological conservation 41 1987 237251 progress in the conservation of nigeria s wildlife p. Despite the costs zimbabwe continues to adaptively investment in. There is inadequate reliable database to facilitate forestry planning and development. Despite a plethora of policies that address issues. Problems of public participation in biodiversity conservation. Many wildlife conservation problems must be solved by resorting to a range of skills relating to managing people and the systems they construct baxter et. It is bounded by benin to the west, niger to the north, cameroon to the east and the atlantic ocean to the south.
It attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Examine the socioeconomic characteristics of residents in the study area iii. Perhaps most significantly, addressing the problems of human wildlife conflicts in the buffer zones and migration corridor areas must be among the highest priorities of all stakeholders. In the assessment of wildlife species, survey, semi. To conserve and manage wildlife resources and management issues. Wildlife conservation in nigeria thisday thecitizen it. Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order. Identify the various wildlife for conservation at the national park iv. Dupuy the national parks and game reserves of dahomeyt. Anadu animal ecology research group, department of zoology, university of oxford, south parks road, oxford, ox1 3ps, great britain received 19 september 1986. The diversity of nigerias wild animals can be attributed to. Its the 7th most populous country of the world with the land mass of 923,708km2. Today, wildlife conservation has evolved into a science, but its goal remains essentially the same. Biodiversity report convention on biological diversity.
It entailed management of the whole environment or ecosystem for instance about twenty years ago in one area a ban on hunting was thought to be the simplest way to ensure preservation of a diminishing deer population with no predacious by man and little by other. Challenges, conservation efforts, national parks, key. Wild fauna conservation in nigeria canadian center of science. The main problems facing wildlife conservation in nigeria include poaching, over exploitation, lack of accurate data, bush burning that. In recognition of the need to protect her resources, nigeria has put in place a. One important obstacle to wildlife conservation in nigeria was that the. Although the pace of wildlife conservation is slow, there have been gradual and steady developments and demarcations of parks and reserves in nigeria. Poor institutional cohesion, low capacity of states to manage varied biodiversity related portfolios, the lack of commitment to and investments in the departments responsible for biodiversity matters characterize the biodiversity conservation policy of most states of nigeria. Review some related previous studies on wildlife resources conservation ii. Nevada wildlife action plan 48 p a g e challenges in wildlife management nevada is uniquely challenged in approaching effective wildlife conservation, in part because of its generally arid climate, geography, and relative scarcity of water resources, which has created a unique endemic biota easily subject to threats and stressors. This chapter is on the various problems that are associated with wildlife conservation in africa. Aug 05, 2016 the numerous constraints facing wildlife management in nigeria call for a national strategy that address the various causes involved. International journal of rural development, environment and. Level of community participation in the conservation of.
Conservation and utilization of wildlife resources are not new among our local communities in nigeria, although the present approach to the management of these resources is very recent. Nigeria is home to a wealth of biodiversity within its seven national parks. Media coverage of nature conservation and protection in nigeria. A history of wildlife conservation in nigeria, and thoughts for the future d. Wildlife management can include wildlife conservation, gamekeeping and pest control.
Okomu national park, benin, nigeria, identify the various challenges of the park and. Conservation plans can play a critical role by gathering and synthesizing relevant biological information that. A history of wildlife conservation in nigeria, and thoughts for the future. This has created problems with regard to the governments position of total. Wildlife conservation society, nigeria program reporting period.
Wildlife conservation strategies and management in india. Wildlife conservation in nigeria thisday thecitizen. Map of nigeria showing the 36 states and the federal capital. Nigeria is blessed with a rich and unique array of ecosystems and great variety of wildlife, but the conservation of these. To achieve its object, the article appraises the relevant laws on biodiversity conservation operative in nigeria, both at the national and inter. Modern technology, urbanization, and human population expansion, have caused the destruction of many indigenous animal and plant species in nigeria. Impact of wildlife policy on management of wildlife. Wildlife society of nigeria is a nonprofit organisation founded and inaugurated at the federal university of agriculture, abeokuta on 19th september 2017 to serve as a forum for researchers and other practitioners to discuss, harness and provide practical solutions to all the challenges of wildlife conservation in nigeria.
Developing a biodiversity conservation strategy for the. Major driver towards consumptive tourism is the need to fund conservation as some areas are not suitable for non consumptive due to challenges such as accessibility especially during the rain season. Pdf challenges of wildlife management in kainji lake national park, nigeria was studied to determine the constraints to effective management. Defenders of wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
Various themes are addressed, among them are conservation, species and forests. It is my hope that the analysis herein will enrich the ongoing debate on wildlife conservation in tanzania for the betterment of the tanzanian. It has generally been found that costs associated with conservation such as wildlife damaging crops have negative effects on local attitudes while benefits from conservation such as game meat may have some positive effects. But wildlife conservation is more than protection of a few endangered species. In nigeria, the increasing rate of habitat loss or modification due to anthropogenic activities is a major problem facing wildlife conservation olaleru and egonmwan, 2014.
We also believe that government needs to act fast if we are to avert the consequences of a 2008 usaid study on nigerians biodiversity. The evolution from nature conservation education to environmental education to. Wildlife society of nigeria wildlife society of nigeria. On the kenyan side of amboseli national park, kenya wildlife service provides conservation staff that can only protect the 300,000 acre park an area undersized by the. Pdf the challenges to nigeria national parks conservation. First is the socioeconomic problem of poverty, particularly among the people in rural areas who dwell in the closest proximity to conservation areas and bear most of the social cost of conservation. Conservation of the cross river gorilla gorilla gorilla. The wildlife of nigeria consists of the flora and fauna of this country in west africa. The major problems include habitat degradation through uncontrolled logging, agricultural projects, industrial plantations, highway and urban development, and exploitation for fuelwood, overhunting and poaching steps taken so far.
The problems facing wildlife in the zone can be resolved if only the. Pdf wildlife conservation challenges in okomu national. Aug 01, 2019 the eight national parks of nigeria covering 20,156 km 2, or about 3% of nigeria s total area, play a vital role in conservation. Wildlife management is the management process influencing interactions among and between wildlife, its habitats and people to achieve predefined impacts. Given the right circumstances, living organisms that we call renewable resources can replenish themselves indefinitely. The national parks that are repository of much of nigerias biodiversity have faced serious threats of poaching in recent years, losing not only wildlife but also rangers to poachers. To address these issues, there have been both national and international governmental efforts to preserve earths wildlife. Wildlife conservation departmentsunits have either been marginalized or are inactive in many states.
Utilization of tropical forests and the future of wildlife conservation in west africa 6. Examining environmental policies and laws in nigeria. The present day nigeria conservation laws broadly cut across many aspects of wildlife. Its the 7th most populous country of the world with the land mass of 923,708km2, making her the worlds 32nd largest country. Nigeria remain unprotected, despite the fact that the area is the richest part of the country in biodiversity, and contains species of both national and international importance see below. Wildlife society of nigeria is a nonprofit organisation founded and inaugurated at the federal university of agriculture, abeokuta on 19th september 2017 to serve as a forum for researchers and other practitioners to discuss, harness and provide practical solutions to all the challenges of wildlife conservation in nigeria nigerian journal of wildlife management njwm. Challenges of wildlife with therapeutic properties in nigeria. Impact of wildlife policy on management of wildlife resources.
Some of the parks, such as the yankari game reserve and kainji lake national park, are now properly managed, while others barely exist, are poorly managed and lack infrastructure and facilities. This report was made possible with the generous support of. Trends in wildlife conservation practices in nigeria. Happold the present status of wildlife conservation in ghanae. 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 longterm sustainability of each park. Goal and objectives of the study the goal of the study was to investigate the awareness and attitude to wildlife conservation among hunters in ijebueast local government, ogun state. The international union for conservation of nature and natural re sources. State of knowledge on tropical forest mammals and priorities for research 7. In nigeria conservation of diversity of wildlife species are maintained at the optimum level commensurate with other forms of land use in order to ensure the continued existence of wildlife for the purpose of their sustainable utilization for benefit of the people and this is among the objectives of national park services nnps, 2006. The agriculture resource has been an important sector in the nigeria economy in the past. Clearing house mechanism of nigeria main threats to. The first national park in nigeria was founded in 1979 as kainji lake.
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