Forest protection in Nigeria
Conservation of the community forest Iko Esai and its biodiversity
The Iko Esai community forest in south-eastern Nigeria is mostly covered with tropical primary rainforest and forms an important buffer zone for the transboundary Cross River National Park. The community forest is home to a wide variety of species, especially primates such as wet-nosed monkeys and drills, but also rare great apes such as chimpanzees and the endemic Cross River gorilla. Other inhabitants include mammals such as forest elephants and buffaloes, and also approximately 350 bird species. The community forest provides livelihoods for about 12,000 people in the remote and rural region. This entails severe anthropogenic pressures: overexploitation and deforestation endanger the habitat for many animal species and reduce income opportunities for people in the long term.
The goal of the project is to preserve these exceptional forests in a joint effort with community representatives. The project is based on the needs of the local communities and is implemented in cooperation with our local partner organisation, "Nigerian Conservation Foundation".
Our commitment to the forest and people
Our approach
Together with the local population, we build forest management structures, raise knowledge and awareness among residents, and promote sustainable forestry and agriculture to generate income.
Our activities
Our work in Iko Esai consists of four pillars:
- promotion of sustainable forest management with community forest representatives.
- improved and sustainable agriculture to increase income for local farmers.
- promotion of alternative sources of income from forest products.
- training of local rangers to implement local forest protection statutes.
Collaboration between NABU and NCF
NABU and NCF are long-standing partners in the BirdLife International network and share the same values and goals. The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) is a leading non-governmental organisation in Nigeria. The NCF is committed to protecting nature and its resources in order to improve the quality of life of the people in Nigeria – present and future. NCF is active with developmental and conservation projects in all geopolitical zones of the country.
Drill monkey in the Nigerian rain forest - photo: Fabian/ stock.adobe.com
Project title
Community forest management and livelihood improvement in the buffer region of the Cross River National Park in Nigeria
Country / Region
Nigeria / Iko Esai Community Forest
Period
October 2022 to October 2025
Partner
Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF)
Sponsored by / Supported by
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU)
With this project we are contributing to the following SDGs
1, 2, 5, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17
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