Dayo Ayeyemi | Lagos
In keeping to its vision of creating a Nigeria where people prosper while living in harmony with nature, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and its partner, the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), have launched a 3-year forest management and livelihood improvement project in Cross River State.
The project is designed as an audacious effort to give a strong economic and viable support, reduce deforestation, limit forest encroachment, alleviate poverty, and boost food security in eight communities of Cross River State.
Making the project a reality, the NCF has organised an Inception Meeting/Project launch for the 3-year project titled “Community Forest Management and Livelihood Improvement in the Buffer Region of Cross River National Park” in Iko Esai, Akampka LGA, Cross River State.
According to the Director General of NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, a survey conducted by the foundation’s technical team highlighted some of the challenges facing the community people of the eight communities, posing the threat of losing their long-preserved community forest.
Represented by the Acting Director of Technical Programmes, Mr. Adedayo Memudu, Onoja explained that through this project, members of the community would be taught how to domesticate some animal and plant species, convert farm produce to edible items for food market and how to preserve perishables item for long time use or sales.
«The project aims to re-establish community-based mechanism for forest conservation and utilisation, promote sustainable agricultural practices, build capacity of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) traders to improve their income, sensitize local people on sustainable forest use and enhance value addition,» he said.
While appreciating the community, the director- general said that when talking about community forest management in Nigeria, the eight communities stood out, referring to them as a reference point.
“NCF appreciate the communities for making frantic efforts to protect what our forefathers left for us as a way to secure what is left of what we inherited, and to have what to pass on to the coming generation so that we can guarantee our collective future,” he said.
He disclosed that the improved livelihood support that abound would be a mutually beneficial intervention for the communities and the state in general.
The beneficiary communities in Akampka Local Government Area include Iko Esai community; Agoi Ekpo community; Owai community; Iko Ekperem community; New Ekuri Clan community; Ifumkpa community; Old Ekuri community; and Agoi Ibami community.
The meeting had in attendance traditional rulers, community leaders, youth leaders, officials of Cross River Forestry Commission, Cross River National Park, CBOs and NCF officials to discuss enhancement of livelihoods for the community development.
