By Emeka Anokwuru
The Federal government has opened 10 new national parks across the country. The Conservator- General of the Nigeria Parks Service, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni announced this while receiving the executive members of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria, who paid him a visit in Abuja. This brings the total number of national parks to 17 nationwide.
The Conservator-General listed the new parks as, Alawa Game Reserve (Niger State); Apoi Forest Reserve (Bayelsa State); Edumenum Forest Reserve (Bayelsa State); Falgore Forest Reserve( Kano State); Hadejia Wetlands Games Reserve(Jigawa State) Kampe Forest Reserve (Kwara State); Kogo Forest Reserve(Katsina State) Marai Forest Reserve (Jigawa State); Oba Hill Forest Reserve(Osun State); and Pandam Forest Reserve(Plateau State). According to Dr. Goni, Nigeria also now has the only marine park in West Africa situated in Bayelsa State in the South- South region. He also noted that the government is now in the process of partially commercializing three of the existing national parks, Cross River National Park, Gashaka Gumti National Park and Kainji Lake National Park. “The federal government is currently pursuing a PPP arrangement so that it can hands-off the excess load that it is carrying, which will help it lessen its burden and give room for the private sector to invest in these assets,” he said.
