Illegal mining, poaching undermining conservation efforts – Minister

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has warned that illegal mining, poaching and river poisoning are undermining the federal government’s efforts to safeguard Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria’s largest national park located in Taraba and Adamawa states. Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by Africa Nature Investors (ANI) at the 20 Model Battalion in […]

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has warned that illegal mining, poaching and river poisoning are undermining the federal government’s efforts to safeguard Gashaka-Gumti National Park, Nigeria’s largest national park located in Taraba and Adamawa states.

Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by Africa Nature Investors (ANI) at the 20 Model Battalion in Serti, headquarters of Gashaka Local Government Area of Taraba State, the minister called for stronger collaboration, stricter environmental protection and sustained security operations to protect the park and other conservation areas nationwide.

Lawal recalled that the National Park Service (NPS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ANI in 2017 to provide financial and technical support for conservation.

He said the partnership has improved park management and enhanced the livelihoods of surrounding communities.

He also disclosed that 7,000 forest guards have been trained and deployed in pilot states, including Taraba, to support security agencies.

The Conservator-General of the NPS, Dr Ibrahim Musa Goni, described the park as Nigeria’s most biodiverse protected area, surrounded by over 60 communities.

He stressed that effective management requires dialogue and respect for the rule of law to address security concerns, illegal settlements and other threats.

Retired Justice Ibrahim Buba, in a keynote address, described the park as “the lungs of the region,” urging legal clarity and community sensitivity in its protection.