National Park Service Seeks Media Support as Illegal Mining, Wildlife Trafficking Threaten Forests

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja

The National Park Service (NPS) has called for stronger collaboration with environmental journalists to expose illegal mining, wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and other criminal activities threatening Nigeria’s forests and protected areas.

The Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Ibrahim Goni, made the call on Tuesday when members of the Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN) paid a courtesy visit to the service’s headquarters in Abuja.

Goni described environmental journalists as strategic partners in conservation efforts, noting that increased media coverage would raise public awareness of the challenges confronting national parks and encourage relevant authorities to take decisive action.

“We are comfortable to have you as partners. We are also comfortable to collaborate with you so that our issues can be given widespread visibility,” he said.

He identified illegal mining, hunting, timber exploitation, banditry and kidnapping as major threats to the management of national parks and other protected areas, warning that criminal activities in surrounding forests often complicate security operations within designated parks.

According to him, even when security agencies successfully dislodge criminal elements from national parks, adjoining forest reserves can provide alternative hideouts, making sustained security operations and inter-agency cooperation essential.

The Conservator-General commended the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for their efforts to address insecurity and protect vulnerable areas.

On illegal mining, Goni disclosed that the National Park Service had collaborated with the Nigerian Army to shut down two illegal mining sites in Gashaka-Gumti National Park, which spans parts of Taraba and Adamawa states.

He said the operation led to the closure of extensive mining pits and the dislodgement of more than 4,000 miners.

However, he warned that removing illegal miners from protected areas could generate resistance, stressing the need for government interventions that provide alternative livelihood opportunities for affected communities.

He also raised concerns about illegal mining activities in Oyo State, saying the service was working with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals to address the problem.

Goni further disclosed that about 17 miners had been arrested in Rivers State as part of efforts to curb illegal mining.

He emphasised that enforcement measures must be supported by effective inter-agency collaboration and practical solutions to the economic conditions driving the illegal exploitation of natural resources.

On wildlife trafficking, the Conservator-General said Nigeria was frequently identified in international trafficking networks because smugglers used the country as a transit route to seaports.

He explained that wildlife specimens were transported from neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger and Cameroon, through Nigeria for onward shipment to other destinations.

To tackle the menace, he said the Nigeria Customs Service, National Park Service, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency and Nigeria Police Force had established an inter-agency committee to combat illegal wildlife trafficking.

According to him, the committee had conducted raids resulting in the seizure of live animals, carcasses and other wildlife specimens.

He called for sustained cooperation among law enforcement agencies and the media to expose trafficking networks, strengthen accountability and protect endangered wildlife.

Goni also expressed concern over the rate of forest destruction in Nigeria, claiming that the country was losing close to 300 hectares of forest reserve daily.

He warned that continued forest loss, driven partly by illegal logging and hunting, could accelerate desertification and worsen environmental degradation.

The Conservator-General explained that the expansion of the national park system was partly intended to promote vegetation regeneration, restore degraded landscapes and strengthen Nigeria’s response to climate change.

He said Nigeria now had 17 national parks, 13 of which were operational, compared with seven before 10 additional parks were established during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Beyond conservation and security, Goni urged environmental journalists to educate Nigerians on pollution, flooding, erosion and other ecological challenges.

He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Environment had introduced flood-warning equipment in several parts of the country to alert communities to impending floods and enable residents to move to safer locations.

He also called for public education on Ebola prevention and the links between wildlife and the transmission of certain infectious diseases, stressing the importance of responsible interaction with wildlife.

The Conservator-General further pledged to consider journalists’ welfare, professional training and participation in conferences within the service’s budgetary provisions.

He said stronger engagement with the media would improve public understanding of conservation issues and encourage greater support for the protection of Nigeria’s natural resources.

In her remarks, EMCAN Chairman, Joycelyn Ellakeche Adah, said the association was committed to bridging the communication gap between environmental agencies and the media.

Adah explained that the association’s new leadership, elected about two months ago, had identified inadequate engagement between environmental institutions and journalists as a major challenge affecting environmental reporting.

She said the association was engaging relevant agencies to establish working relationships and improve journalists’ access to information about their activities.

“As journalists, our job is to report on this sector. In every parastatal, there is an environment correspondent, and the job of that correspondent is to report on the sector,” she said.

The EMCAN chairman disclosed that the association had more than 35 members, but only three or four media organisations regularly covered the activities of the National Park Service.

She said the limited coverage underscored the need for a more inclusive media engagement strategy that would enable environmental correspondents to access relevant information and report more comprehensively on conservation initiatives.

Adah added that the association was ready to partner with the service to publicise its programmes, educate Nigerians about the importance of national parks and wildlife protection, and improve public understanding of the agency’s mandate.

She noted that many Nigerians remained unaware of the responsibilities of the National Park Service, stressing that stronger media coverage would help bridge the information gap and highlight the service’s contributions to environmental protection.