The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), through support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Global Environment Facility, Small Grant Programme (GEF-SGP) has launched a programme to improve forest management and conservation of landscape and rural livelihoods in selected forest-edge communities.
The communities are Ebok, Kabakken and Ebranta in Boje, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State.
NCF had in 2017 had set up the Community-Based REDD+ programme (CBR+) to promote activities that boost poverty eradication, improved crop varieties and yields, gender empowerment, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Through the funding, the communities cultivated two acres of land respectively with improved cassava stem cuttings, set-up cassava processing mills and cultivation and domestication of Afang Gnetum africanum by community members.
In order to restore and cope with the impact of landslide-affected community forests, 4,000 tree seedlings raised by the beneficiary communities were planted to reclaim degraded forests.
According to a statement by NCF, the estimated beneficiaries were 36 households comprising about 250 individuals and that their income levels had improved by 10%.
A total number of 15 forest eco-guards made up of five representatives from each community have been established. The eco-guards, along with the community council of chiefs make up the natural resources governance committee.
Mr. Tony Attah, the facilitator for community forest bye-laws at the training, applauded NCF for the laudable strides and called on the people to take full advantage of the opportunities the CBR+ project presents.
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