By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, on Thursday, said that the establishment of a security outpost at the northern sector of the Gashaka Gumti National Park in Adamawa State would curtail the activities of illegal miners and other security threats confronting the park.
The minister disclosed this during the launch of the new outpost built by African Nature Investors (ANI) at the northern sector of the park in Gumti, Tounga Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
He commended ANI for the strategic partnership and urged the host communities to collaborate with the agency for better development.
Lawal noted that, among the security threats posed by poachers, illegal grazers, farm encroachers, and others, the threat from illegal mining was the most grievous and required urgent government intervention.
“In recent times, our nation has faced unprecedented challenges in protecting our rich biodiversity, challenges that have been exacerbated by poaching, habitat destruction, climate change, and more recently, general insecurity as a result of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, among others. The collaboration between the National Park Service and ANI in managing these two national parks is apt and will go a long way in mitigating these challenges and protecting our wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystem.
“The interventions from the partnership have had a profound impact on both the park and the surrounding community. Some of these interventions include the creation of employment opportunities, provision of basic infrastructure, provision of field and patrol equipment such as helicopters, vehicles, and motorcycles, as well as capacity building for park rangers, the construction of ranger barracks, procurement of arms and ammunition, and the provision of modern communication gadgets.
“These efforts have greatly complemented the federal government’s initiatives in safeguarding our national treasures. This partnership, therefore, signifies a robust alliance shaped by a shared vision to ensure that our parks are not only protected but also serve as sanctuaries for wildlife, ecotourism, and sources of livelihood for local communities.”
Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director of ANI, Tunde Morakinyo, noted that the organisation signed a pact with the National Park Service to develop and preserve the parks.
“For many years, the northern sector faced serious security challenges. Due to our partnership with the park, we are standing where no one dared to come four years ago due to insecurity. This outpost has 24-hour security, internet, and stable water supply. Our vision is only beginning to manifest. Our aim is to make it a magnet for development. We need the host communities to tap into this project. We have created 300 direct jobs and over 3,000 indirect jobs.
“We have also set up a microfinance bank that has empowered over 2,000 women and is extending it to young men. We have gone into the vaccination of cattle, supporting farmers around the park, and we want to do more. The park still faces threats of logging, illegal mining, farm encroachment, and illegal grazing. I call on the state and federal governments to assist us in phasing out the illegal mining, as it attracts severe insecurity,” he said.
The Director General (DG) of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Zakaria Buba, in his remarks, said, “ANI is special and crucial to the conservation of our fauna. These structures and facilities are for the communities, and the host communities must take responsibility to ensure the safety of the parks and, especially, the facilities here. Make the move for the Gumti sector to become a National Park. You must make the move yourselves. The activities of illegal mining must be stopped because it is the worst threat to any community and the park itself.”
Our correspondent reports that the Chief of Ganyi and local government chairmen who graced the occasion all appreciated ANI for their intervention and pledged their unwavering support to ensure that the park is not only safe from any form of threats, but is transformed into a money-spinning venture for the nation.