National Parks: The untapped beauty and pride of Nigeria

So, in the last two decades that  the National Park Services has been in  existence, it has been  operating seven strategic parks across the country.The seven parks which include the Kainji Lake, Gashaka Gumti, Old Oyo, Chad Basin, Cross River, Kamuku and Okomu National Parks, are Nigeria’s collective heritages as of today.The Kainji Lake National […]

So, in the last two decades that  the National Park Services has been in  existence, it has been  operating seven strategic parks across the country.
The seven parks which include the Kainji Lake, Gashaka Gumti, Old Oyo, Chad Basin, Cross River, Kamuku and Okomu National Parks, are Nigeria’s collective heritages as of today.
The Kainji Lake National Park is the first to be established in Nigeria and it is located within two states in the north-west central part of the country in Niger and Kwara states.  It covers an area of 5340.82sq.km and separated into two distinct non-contagious sectors with Borgu sector covering an area of 1,370.02sq.km and Zugurma sector covering an area of 1,370.80sq.km.
The park is endowed with a rich and diverse population of wildlife and a variety of ethno-historic and cultural sites.
Star species in the park include Kob, Roan Antellope, Hippoptamus, Duiker, Lion, Buffalo, Hyena and Baboon.
The Chad Basin National Parks is located in the Sudano-Sahelian Ecological zone of the North-eastern part of Nigeria, between Borno and Yobe states, covers a total land area of 2,258sq.km. It also has three non–contiguous ecological systems which are Chingurmi-Duguma sector that covers an area of 1,228sq.km, Bade-Nguru Wetlands Sector that covers an area of 938sq.km and Balutura sector with an area of 92sq.km.
One of the star attractions at this park is the Dagona WaterFowl Sanctuary internationally recognised as wintering site for Palaearctic migrant birds from Europe, Asia and other parts of the globe. Some of the frequently sighted migrant birds include Garganey, Pintail, Pelican, Spur-winged Geese, Black Tail Godwit.
Another park under the auspices of the NPS is the Old Oyo National Parks. It is located in the South- western part of Nigeria in the Northern part of Oyo State and it has a total land area of 2,512sq.km.
The park derived its name from the ruins of the Oyo Ile, the ancient political capital of the Yoruba Empire. It is conserving what is left of the empire such as the Agbaku cave, python cave, the Oyo-ile reservoir.
The Cross River National Park is located in the rainforest ecological zone in the extreme south-eastern corner of Nigeria on the border with the Republic of Cameroun and it occupies a total land area of about 4,000 square kilometre of tropical rainforest ecosystem and it exists as two non-contiguous divisions, Oban which is in the southern part and covers an area of 3,000sq.km and the Okwangwo in the northern part, that covers an area of 1,000 square kilometre.
This park is regarded as the last vestiges of the rainforest ecosystem and it is home to about 199 mammal, 63 frog and toads, 20 reptile, 380 bird, 48 fish and 950 butterfly species.
The Gashaka Gumti National Parks is the largest, most scenic and diverse conservation enclave in Nigeria and it is located in the north- eastern part of the country. It covers an area of 6,731 square kilometre and it is situated in Adamawa and Taraba states while the Kamuku National Park is located in Birnin Gwari Local Government of Kaduna State and it covers a land area of 1,121sq.km, though it was originally gazetted as a Ntive Authority forest before it was upgraded to a National Park.
The Okomu National Park is the smallest of Nigeria national parks and the last surviving protected rainforest ecosystem in South-west and located in Ovia South-west Local Government Area of Edo State which covers an area of 202.24sq.km.
According to experts, Nigeria has yet to take advantage of these natural gifts to enhance the quality of life for its citizen.
Dr Agbo John, an ecologist, said: “Government has not been able to take advantages of the natural resources it has to become a big player in the international arena. Take the Carbon Credit initiative of the United Nations, for instance, has Nigeria been able to use its natural forest to earn money? We are also talking about benefit and asset sharing under the Nagoya Protocol, have we been able to benefit from our national parks?”
Banku Ejiro, leader of the Nigeria Biodiversity Project, one of the groups in the forefront of biodiversity conservation in the country, noted that the natural habitat covered by the national parks put Nigeria in the rank of those who respect the environment.
“But the challenge we have as a country is the fact that we have not been able to convert our natural parks into money making ventures like the Kenyans and most countries of the world,” she said.
In this era where we are losing touch of our history and culture, the NPS should strive to become more proactive and avail Nigerians, especially the younger generation, the opportunity of knowing what we have, where we are coming from and what had exited.
The role of the National Parks in science, research and education development seems to be neglected by the agency as many Nigerians are ignorant of the issues.  
A visit to the NPS Arboretum, located around the FCT, where all indigenous plant species are planted for conservation of their genetic resources, revealed that we, indeed, have what it takes to preserve and conserve Nigeria’s natural heritage.