Wildlife Day: Underfunding, bane of national parks —Director, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies

As the World Wildlife Day was celebrated on March 3, there have been calls from government quarters for the public to support the Nigeria National Parks Service and the work they do.

However, Director of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Emmanuel Ofoezie, has said responsibility lies on the Federal Government to improve funding of the National Parks Service for national parks in the country to thrive.

He noted that the parks in existence today were the ones which had been long established in the period close to the nation’s independence.

“It is a national ecological function for National Parks Service to safeguard animals and plants in their natural habitat and limit human activities in those areas, and allow them remain in their natural state. The national parks that exist are the one that were created before and immediately after the country’s independence.

He noted that these parks were now being encroached on, but pointed out that “most importantly they are highly underfunded.

It is a very important aspect of ecosystem management. If you go to Kenya and visit their national parks, that is where you will find these threatened animals and near-extinction animals. But in Nigeria here, they are highly underfunded to a point where they cannot identify the plant and animal species found in the parks. There are supposed to be plants that are found inside those parks that have become extinct elsewhere.”

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He said the underfunding issue had made it impossible for them to employ the needed experts or support any kind of research in this regard.

Professor Ofoezie said, “By now, one would have expected that at least in every state, you will have a park reserve area for plants and animals. But they remain the number the they were established years ago.”

There are eight national parks of Nigeria. The Nigeria National Park Service (NNPS) is responsible for preserving, enhancing, protecting and managing vegetation and wild animals in these national parks. They are located in Borno, Cross River, Adamawa, Kwara, Edo, Oyo, Bauchi and Kaduna.

He concluded saying, “It will be very interesting to see our government pay more attention to our national parks; not only to establish new ones but to see the already established ones prosper. Proper funding will enable them employ the required staff and engage in some good research.”