ANI Foundation and NPS Launch Okomu Park Restoration Project

A major forest restoration initiative has begun at Okomu National Park, spearheaded by the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS). This project focuses on reclaiming degraded farmland and restoring it to indigenous rainforest, which is crucial for rebuilding ecosystems and reconnecting fragmented habitats necessary for wildlife movement, feeding, and breeding.

The initiative also aims to enhance the park's resilience to climate change. The replanted indigenous species will eventually recreate the canopy essential for endangered species like the African forest elephant while also sequestering carbon.

The restoration sites were previously farmlands cleared from the park decades ago, reflecting a broader trend of agricultural encroachment into Nigeria’s forest reserves. Peter Abanyam, the project manager for ANI Foundation at Okomu National Park, emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting past threats from commercial logging and farm encroachment.

He mentioned that ANI's initial approach involved improving law enforcement by recruiting rangers from surrounding communities to protect the park.