The Nigeria National Parks Service has called for media collaboration to sensitise Nigerians on the need to patronise Nigerian parks and conservation, to cut down revenue flight out of the country.
The Conservator-General, Dr Ibrahim Goni, made the call on Tuesday in Lagos during a media tour to Television Continental Communications (TVC) and Channels Television.
Goni told newsmen that Nigerians had yet to appreciate the importance of such protected areas and their contributions to the mitigation of climate change, security, the well-being of citizens and the nation’s economy.
The Conservator-General said that Nigerians were building other economies within Africa and beyond when they visited their national parks instead of domesticating the money within.
“The service has produced several information materials to enhance the publicity of parks and has realised the need to collaborate and partner with the media to achieve this objective.
“It is in the pursuit of this that we are here today to seek your collaboration and partnership towards the promotion of National Parks in Nigeria.
“We believe that by collaborating with the media, Nigerians will be adequately sensitised and educated on the importance of National Parks to national security, climate change mitigation, boosting of tourism, and generating the much-need foreign exchange in line with the Economic Recovery Growth plan of President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration.”
Goni highlighted the challenges facing the promotion of the country’s national parks, which include illegal activities within the parks (poaching, logging, encroachment and grazing)
He also cited armed banditry and insurgency in and around the parks; poor quality of tourism infrastructure; lack of zeal of Nigerians for leisure and tourism; poor road network to the parks, as well as an inadequate number of modern operational equipment.
Goni hoped that patronage at the seven national parks managed by the service across the country would increase, thereby raising its contributions to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He said that of the 6.7 forest cover of the country, the seven National Parks accounted for a total of 22,206km conservation area which was about three per cent of the total landmass of the country ( 923.74km).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the seven National Parks are; Chad Basin National Park of 2,258sqkm; Cross River National Park of 4,000sqkm; Gashaka Gumti National Park of 6,732sqkm; Kainji Lake National Park of 5,382sqkm; Old Oyo National Park 2,512sqkm; Okomu National Park of 202sqkm and Kamuku National Park of 1,121sqkm.
Goni said that the service also plays roles in medicine, research, education, agriculture, tourism, spiritualism and is a critical component in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 7 (affordable and clean energy) and 13 (climate change).
He said that the service provides security for countryside dwellers because the parks are located in the countryside.
The TVC representative, Mr Uzonna Ononye on behalf of the media outfit, said that the management was ready to collaborate with the service to push the interest of the country.
He said the National Park could become a huge revenue source if proper mechanisms were put in place.