”Only 50 lions, 100 gorillas left in Nigeria’s game reserves”

The National Park Service (NPS) has reiterated its commitment to conserving biotic and abiotic resources amid revelations that only 50 lions are now left in two game reserves – Kainji and Yankari Game Reserves – and only 100 gorillas in the forest bordering Cameroon.

The revelation was made by the Director General of the World Conservation Society, Andrew Dunn, at a round table meeting for donor support to NPS and trans-boundary collaboration initiative held recently in Abuja.

Conservator-General of NPS, Ibrahim Musa Goni, in his welcome address, said besides the NPS yearning for world class infrastructure, it also requires equipment for anti-poaching activities, training and manpower development and technological devices to be able to compete with its counterparts worldwide.

While saying the service was upgraded in 2014 to a full-fledged paramilitary organisation, he said efforts are being made to establish two marine National Parks in Bayelsa State for Nigeria to be able to attain the full complements of its biological diversity.

Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, who graced the occasion, said the National Council on Privatization (NCP) has approved the partial commercialization of the ecotourism components of three national parks – Gashaka Gumti, Cross River and Kainji Lake – as a pilot scheme.

He called for support, especially from the diplomatic community whose representatives were also present at the event, in areas of funding development projects, technical assistance and direct foreign investments in national parks.