By Fatima Saka
Ahead on the occasion to commemoration the World Ranger Day (WRD), which was supposed to be marked on 31st July 2022 due to circumstanced, the National Park Service (NPS) of Nigeria has organized a day public lecture which schedule to 16th August 2022 to commemorate ceremony in respect to educate the general public on the critical roles rangers played while carrying out their mandate and protecting the environment.
The lecture took place on Monday in Abuja, as the Conservator General of the National Park Service (NPS), Ibrahim M. Goni, briefed the press that the federal government should not be left alone in support of the rangers but should be the affairs of individual and corporate bodies.
The Conservator General said in the issues of insecurity in the country, that the ranger also helps in combating in the areas of information, that the ranger is important in the area of security, in the area of nature and others.
However, he stated that the ranger job can be improved as a matter of individuals through awareness creation in that way people will get to know the function of ranger in the society and in addition to the support that the government is already rendering.
Goni also revealed that the federal government has approved helicopter in the 2022 budget and that fund has been approved.
“The government has reclassified NPS act as paramilitary act, and has reviewed workers salary structure as the paramilitary formal, and condition of service, training, promotion and other benefits,” he added.
The public lecture is delivered by Assistant Conservator General, Okediji A. Okeyoyin lectured the public on the significance of the world ranger day as a day set aside by the International Ranger Federation (IRF), also to acknowledge and appreciate the critical roles of rangers indulged and which reflect on diversity as the theme of this year’s event.
Okeyoyin however said rangers are broad in terms of career and diverse in nature, that they are responsible in protecting the national parks, the natural resources, ecosystems and wildlife with them and the people across the nation.
He further stated that rangers embed with powers as police, to enforce laws at the national, state, provincial, and local laws as well as park regulations, ranger Interpretation and education visitors, also provide a wide range of informational services to visitors, likewise reports on emergency response, Firefighting among others.
He added that park rangers are exposed to hazards with numerous challenges while carrying out their duties they encounter; “Contending with poachers, loggers, miners,grazers, Trekking long distances, Inadequate patrol vehicles, Inadequate firearms, Inadequate modern equipment, Inadequate manpower,Low pay, exposure to the elements among others.
The Assistant Conservator General emphasizes that rangers are faced with all these challenges, that the burden should not only be on the government.
“Individuals and corporate organizations can come to support rangers because, government cannot do it alone.
” This will also narrate the importance of rangers and also create awareness among the citizens,” he added.