Special Focus: Transforming Conservation: Dr. Goni’s impactful strides in Nigeria’s National Park Service

The National Park Service of Nigeria is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Environment established by Decree 36 of 1991 which was subsequently repealed and replaced with Decree 46 of 1999 and now Act 46 (Cap 65 LFN 2004).

The Service was established to protect, manage and regulate the designated Seven National Parks in Nigeria namely Chad Basin, Cross River, Gashaka Gumti, Kamuku, Kainji Lake, Okomu and Old Oyo National Parks.

The Service is currently headed by a rare gem who is a conservation enthusiast and an astute seasoned administrator in old and contemporary park management. He is Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni, born on April 3, 1958, in New-Bussa, Niger State. He holds various academic qualifications including a Ph.D. in Wildlife Management and has had a distinguished career spanning over three decades. Starting as a Park Superintendent in Kainji Lake National Park in 1983, he has held various positions including Officer-in-Charge of Kamuku National Park, Deputy Director of Chad Basin and Old Oyo National Parks and Assistant Conservator General (Ecology & Resource Management) at the Service Headquarters, Abuja. He has attended numerous national and international workshops, conferences and he is a member of professional organizations such as the Wildlife Society of Nigeria, the Nigerian Association of Zoos and Wildlife Parks etc. He has received several awards including the Award of Excellence by Caring Climate Film 2013, Award of Excellence by the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife 2023. In 2017, he was appointed Conservator General of the Service by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Upon assumption of office in 2017, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni took over the Seven National Parks as Conservator General/Chief Executive Officer of the Service and under his guide, passion and ingenuity, the Service was able to reposition itself, work and achieve its mandate of protection, preservation and management of the Nigerian Parks’ biodiversity to a great extent. The Service made this inroad through among other activities:

• Regular and Periodic Anti-Poaching Patrols/Surveillance in the Parks-This has been achieved and sustained by the construction and maintenance of old/new ranger barracks and the provision of office/field vehicles, motorcycles, smart/cyber trackers/camera traps/communication equipment, helicopter, regular training/retraining of rangers on modern park management skills and handling of weapons for patrols/protection, surveillance, data collection, tourism and research activities etc in the Parks. And from this capacity, the Service arrested over 5,000 park defaulters and successfully prosecuted over 50% of them to deter others with like minds and secure the remaining biodiversity of the Parks from exploitation.
• Enhanced Road Network Across the Parks: A network of jeep tracks covering a cumulative distance of over 731.5kms have been constructed in the Parks and this has improved access on the effective patrol, protection and monitoring of Parks’ biodiversity, research, ecotourism and surveillance activities in and around the Parks
• Intensification of Enlightenment Campaigns and Conservation Education in the Park-Support Zone Communities’ Primary/Secondary/Tertiary Schools on Value and Importance of the Effective Protection and Conservation of the Parks’ biodiversity: Sensitization and enlightenment campaigns have been intensified in the schools of the Support Zone Communities of the Parks and with the general public. This was supported and strengthened by establishment of over 200 school conservation clubs in the schools in the communities to inculcate in the Nigerian Children the right knowledge and concern for not only the importance of effective protection of the Parks’ biodiversity but also maintenance of healthy environment for sustainable development.
• Provision of Means of Livelihoods, Sound Health and Education to the Parks’ Support Zone Communities to empower/reduce the Overdependence of the Communities on the Parks’ Biodiversity and Enlist their Support for the Effective Protection and Conservation of the Parks’ Biodiversity: This has been possible by the intervention of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Service through the provision of numerous micro projects, health/business centres, schools etc in the Parks’ Support Zone communities.
• Strengthened Inter-Agency Collaboration: The Service has entered and strengthenedstrategic collaborations with many key organizations to enhance knowledge, capacity and productivity of the Parks’ staff/managementfor the Parks’ biodiversity protection and conservation in line with its mandate. Some of the organizations are the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Airforce, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Directorate of State Security Service, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Africa Nature Investors (ANI), Nigeria Film Corporation, Association of Tourism Practitioners in Nigeria (ATPN), Game Ranger Association of Africa (GRAA), International Ranger Federation (IRF), USA Embassy, United Arab Emirate (UAE) etc.
• Acquisition of more sophisticated Arms and Ammunition: The Service has acquired over 300 rifles (including 50 AK-47) and a number of high-power pistols to better arm officers and men of the Parks as well as improve their confidence and capacity for the effective protection and conservation of the Parks’ biodiversity.
• Enhancement of Service Manpower: In a bid to cope with the daunting challenges of the Parks’ operations and biodiversity protection in the Nigerian, the Service has recruited over 340 additional personnel to complement the existing manpower and ensure effective policing, protection and conservation of the Parks’ biodiversity. The new strength, though not yet enough, has no doubt enhanced the manpower of the Parks to strategically cover their land sizes during monitoring/patrols and repel challenges arising from complications from arrest of Parks’ defaulters.
• Improved Welfare for Officer & Men of the Service: Apart from the regular payment of salaries and allowances of personnel, the Service ensured timely promotion of officers and men in the Parks. So far, over 1000 personnel have been promoted and decorated with their appropriate ranks. This is done on regular basis to further enliven and redouble staff commitment and dedication to achieving the mandate of the Service in term of biodiversity protection and conservation among others.
• Review of the Obsolete National Park Service Act (Cap 65, LFN, 2010), Parks Regulations and Condition of Service: The review of the National Park Service Act became pertinent given the gaps in the current Act on the Parks’ biodiversity protection. The Park Service Act is currently under review and has passed 2nd reading at the National Assembly. In addition, the Service has already reviewed and launched its Parks’ regulations to strengthen the protection and conservation of the Parks’ biodiversity in line with the current realities in the fight against wildlife and forest crime in Nigeria. The condition of the Service was also reviewed to improve the general staff welfare and performance 
• Establishment of Ten (10) additional National Parks: Through consistent concerted efforts of the Service, ten (10) new National Parks have been established by former President Muhammadu Buhari to put additional land area and biodiversity in Nigeria under effective supervision, protection and conservation in the Country. Among the ten (10) new National Parks are two (2) marine National Parks, Apoi and Edumenum all in Bayelsa State were created for the protection of marine biodiversity/ecosystem, hitherto, lacking in Nigeria.
• Enlisting the Service into International Conservation Fora:The Service has enlisted itself into various international platforms, some of which include the International Ranger Federation, Game Ranger Association of Africa (GRAA), African Protected Areas Directors (APAD) etc to expand its experience and capacity for the effective protection and conservation of the Nigerian Parks’ biodiversity.
• Winning of Grants and Aids: The Service has been able to access grants and aids to support its protection and conservation efforts of its Parks’ biodiversity. Some of the donors include ACReSAL in some of the new Parks, EU in Cross River National Park, Biopama in Okomu National Park (ONP), WACI in Old Oyo National Park, African Nature Investors (ANI) in GashakaGumti and Okomu National Parks, Multi-pro Consumer Ltd. (Indomie) at the Park Headquarters etc. The resources sourced from these NGOs have been used to acquire field vehicles, solar systems, motor cycles etc for the Parks’ biodiversity protection capacity and work.
• Publicity and Media Advocacy: The Service has established strong relationships with several media organizations with strategic reach and followership across the spread of Nigeria to promote the Park’s visibility and public acceptance and use them to advocate and canvass for public support for the effective protection of the Parks’ biodiversity. The media organizations are namely; NTA, TVC, Channels TV, FRCN, Daily trust, Nation, Sun, Punch, AIT, Leadership, Authority, Development Agenda Magazine, Commerce Media Ltd Magazine, the Environment Outreach magazine, NaturenewsMagazine, dotafricaonline etc.

It is important to further note that under the visionary leadership of Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni, the Service has remained determined, focused and opened to opportunities in terms of collaborations/synergies to further strengthen the capacity of the Parks to effectively monitor, patrol, protect, conserve and manage the Nigerian rich biodiversity for a healthy environment with attendant opportunities for economic diversification and guaranteed national security.