By Abdullahi Lukman
Patrick Egwu, a passionate and dedicated conservationist, has been recognized as the Elephant Protection Initiative’s (EPI) “Friend of the Month” for January 2025, a prestigious accolade that highlights his tireless efforts at protecting Africa’s endangered wildlife.
Egwu is the founder and driving force behind the West African Conservation Network (WACN), an organization committed to safeguarding the rich biodiversity of West Africa.
In recognition of his exceptional leadership, Egwu and his team have recently forged a significant partnership with Nigeria’s National Parks Service to co-manage and restore Lake Kainji National Park, a vital ecosystem in Niger State, located near Nigeria’s border with the Benin Republic.
Lake Kainji National Park, one of West Africa’s most important conservation areas, is home to a remarkable array of wildlife, including one of the last remaining populations of lions in the region.
The park also serves as a critical migration corridor for elephants, particularly those that move from Benin, making its preservation crucial for the long-term survival of these species.
Despite these extraordinary wildlife assets, the park faces numerous challenges, including threats from poaching, habitat destruction, and most notably, a security crisis.
Armed bandits operating in the region have created a dangerous environment that has hindered conservation efforts and put both wildlife and local communities at risk.
Patrick Egwu’s vision for Lake Kainji is to turn the park into a thriving conservation area that not only protects endangered species but also empowers local communities through sustainable development and ecotourism.
The partnership between WACN and the National Parks Service, formalized in October 2023, is a long-term, 31-year co-management agreement that represents a significant step forward for wildlife protection in West Africa.
The goal of this collaboration is to restore and maintain the park’s biodiversity while ensuring its future sustainability through local engagement and financial self sufficiency.
The agreement outlines a strategic plan to revitalize the park’s ecosystems, restore its wildlife populations, and establish the park as a beacon of successful conservation.
One of the key objectives is to enhance the park’s ability to become an economically self sustaining protected area through ecotourism, which would both provide necessary funding for ongoing conservation efforts and generate local employment opportunities.
The partnership also focuses on addressing the pressing issue of security, a challenge that has been exacerbated by the region’s instability.
Lake Kainji’s lion population is a major point of focus for WACN and the National Parks Service.
These iconic predators are among the last remaining lions in West Africa, a region where lion populations have dramatically declined in recent decades due to habitat loss and poaching.
According to reports from the National Park Service and local communities, lions still roam the park, though the full extent of their population and health remains unclear.
WACN’s plans include deploying camera traps to monitor their movements and health, as well as potentially collaring the lions for more detailed data collection.
These efforts are contingent on resolving the security issues in the park, but they represent an essential part of WACN’s broader conservation strategy.
In addition to lions, elephants are another key focus of conservation efforts at Lake Kainji.
Though the park is not home to a resident elephant population, a small group of non-resident elephants occasionally passes through the park on their migratory routes.
These elephants are a vital part of the region’s ecosystem, but their irregular presence in the park makes it difficult to establish a stable, sustainable elephant population.
Egwu and his team hope to address this issue by creating a more secure environment that supports the return of elephants on a more permanent basis.
This could involve enhancing the park’s habitat to better accommodate elephants and other species, as well as mitigating human-wildlife conflict.
The West African Conservation Network is already taking significant steps to address the numerous challenges facing Lake Kainji National Park.
Since signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the National Parks Service, WACN has been busy cultivating strategic partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, and local communities.
These partnerships will be essential in securing the resources necessary to achieve the long-term goals of the restoration project.
Here are some of the key initiatives that WACN has launched or plans to implement:
• Fundraising for Conservation: WACN is working diligently to raise substantial funds to support the restoration and ongoing management of Lake Kainji National Park.
These funds will be used to support various conservation programs, including wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching efforts, and the development of infrastructure within the park.
• Security and Safety Improvements: Given the current security challenges, WACN is actively engaging with local authorities, security forces, and the National Parks Service to restore safety to the park.
The priority is to eliminate the threat of armed bandits and ensure that the park can once again become a safe space for both wildlife and local communities.
• Infrastructure Upgrades: WACN is committed to improving the park’s infrastructure, which is critical not only for conservation activities but also for the development of sustainable ecotourism.
The goal is to create an accessible and well maintained park that attracts tourists, provides educational opportunities, and generates revenue to support long-term conservation efforts.
• Wildlife Monitoring and Species Reintroduction: WACN will continue its work on monitoring the health and movements of the park’s wildlife.
In addition to tracking lions and elephants, WACN plans to assess the viability of reintroducing species that have been lost to the park over time, further enhancing its biodiversity.
• Promoting Ecotourism: Revitalizing ecotourism in Lake Kainji National Park is a key part of WACN’s strategy.
Through sustainable tourism practices, the park can generate much needed revenue to fund conservation efforts while providing educational experiences that raise awareness of the importance of wildlife protection.
The road to restoring Lake Kainji National Park is long, but Egwu’s optimism and commitment to the cause are unwavering.
While there are still many challenges ahead, including the ongoing security issues and the need for continued funding, Egwu is confident that with the right partnerships and sustained efforts, the park can be transformed into a model of conservation success.
As a passionate advocate for the preservation of Africa’s biodiversity, Patrick Egwu’s work with WACN serves as an inspiring example of how one individual’s vision can lead to meaningful change.
The partnership with Nigeria’s National Parks Service is just the beginning, and Egwu looks forward to continued progress at Lake Kainji, confident that the park will not only be a sanctuary for endangered species but also a testament to the power of community driven conservation.