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E V O L U T I O N O F P A R K S
I N N I G E R I A |
The establishment of a network of National Parks in Nigeria is a very recent development.
The concept of National Parks was first introduced in 1979 by the then Head of State
and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General
Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR), who through Decree No. 46 of 1979 approved the establishment
of Kainji Lake as the nation’s premier National Park. This was followed by Decree
No. 36 of 1991, which led to the establishment of the National Parks Governing Board
and five new National Parks.
In 1992, Yankari Game Reserve was upgraded to the status of a National Park bringing
the total to six National Parks. With the promulgation of Decree 46 of 1999 (now
an Act), two additional Parks, Kamuku and Okomu, were established. However, Yankari
was later handed over to the Bauchi State Government at its instance in June 2006,
leaving seven National Parks currently in existence.
In the present democratic dispensation, Act 46 of 1999 is the legal instrument under
which these unit Parks and their Head offices are being administered. As in many
other parts of the world, the seven National Parks are on the Exclusive Legislative
List of the Constitution and are therefore controlled and managed by the Federal
Government being the highest legal authority in the land.
Each of the Unit Parks is headed by a Director under the guidance of a Park Management
Committee. Administratively, however, the Conservator-General is the Chief Executive
Officer of the Park Service and administers on day to day basis the affairs of the
National Park Service. There is a 14-member Governing Board led by a Chairman, and
is responsible for determining the policy direction of the Service. The Federal
Ministry of Environment, Housing & Urban Development supervises the Park Service
as its agency.
The seven National Parks which span across the various ecological zones of Nigeria
(with the exception of the marine ecosystem) are some of the few remaining natural ecosystems capable of enhancing ecological processes and life support systems. Each
of them has its own unique attributes in terms of biophysical and anthropogenic
resources to offer to visitors. They cover a total land area of approximately 20,156
sq. km, i.e. about three percent (3%) of the country total land area (i.e. 932,768 km2).
Names of the seven National Parks with their locations, Head offices and Size:
|
No |
Name |
State(s) |
Head Office |
Size |
|
i |
Chad Basin |
Borno/Yobe |
Maiduguri |
2,258 sq.km |
|
ii |
Cross River |
Cross River |
Akamkpa |
4,000 sq.km |
|
iii |
Gashaka-Gumti |
Adamawa/Taraba |
Serti |
6,731 sq.km |
|
iv |
Kamuku |
Kaduna |
Birnin Gwari |
1,121 sq.km |
|
v |
Kainji Lake |
Kwara/Niger |
New Bussa |
5,382 sq.km |
|
vi |
Okomu |
Edo |
Arakhuan-Udo |
181 sq.km |
|
vii |
Old Oyo |
Oyo |
Oyo |
2,512 sq.km |
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Estimated Total Conservation Area -
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22,185 sq.km |
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