Park service seeks N2bn annual funding

The Nigeria National Park Service has said that it needs about N2 billion annually to adequately meet its capital expenditure requirement and a minimum of N40 million monthly to run its seven national parks spread across Nigeria.

Conservator General and CEO of the National Park Service, Ibrahim Musa Goni, who addressed journalists in his office in Abuja, said the parks include the Kainji Lake National Park in Niger/Kwara States, Chad Basin National Park between Borno and Yobe States, Old Oyo National Park, Cross River National Park, Gashaka Gumti National Park between Adamawa and Taraba States, Kamuku National Park in Kaduna State, and Okomu National Park in Edo State.

He cited some of the challenges facing the service to include activities of poachers and bandits, and said over 20 persons have so far been killed or maimed in some of the national parks.

He maintained that running the seven national parks is capital intensive, hence the need for private investors to come in.

The Conservator General said private investors could help develop lodges, provide transport services, liaise with airlines in the provision of air services as well as provide catering services in all the seven national parks.

He said in its effort to preserve, enhance, protect and manage vegetation and wild animals in the national parks, former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1979 approved the establishment of Kainji Lake as the nation’s premier park. This was followed by Decree No. 36 of 1991, and Act 46 of 1999 by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.