FG Committed to Securing National Parks: Environment Minister
Written by News Desk on October 19, 2024
By Osamudiamen Idemudia
Minister of Environment, mallam Balarabe Abass says the Federal Government is committed to securing the nation’s forest and National Parks
The minister stated this at the handover ceremony of Eleven Vehicles to the National Park service by the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Projects in Abuja to address challenges of transportation of forest Guards.
Aside the vehicles , information communication Technology, ICT Equipment was also donated to the park services.
The minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass said the deployment of these vehicles will significantly improve the Service’s effectiveness in combating the dangerous trend of poaching and preservation of the wildlife.
“the handover of these vehicles to the National Park Service of Nigeria is a demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of our National Park Service in the task of providing transportation for the Park Ranger Guards, National Park Personnel, Tourists to the Parks, and Researchers.”
“Indeed, the deployment of these vehicles will significantly improve the Service’s effectiveness in combating the dangerous trend of poaching and preservation of the wildlife. Improved patrol capacities and real-time monitoring will boost surveillance and rapid response to potential threats to our National Parks located in 11 states”
The minister added that the ACReSAL project under his leadership as Chairman of the Federal Steering Committee has improved conservation and park management in Yankari Game Reserve, Jos Wildlife Park, Gombe State Department of Forestry, and the National Park Service.
The National Project Coordinator for ACReSAL, Abdulhamid Umar, said the project aimed is to address the challenges of land degradation through integrated catchment approach.
Responding, the Conservator-General, NPS, Dr Ibrahim Goni, commended ACReSAL for its support to the service assuring that the equipment would be put to the best use.
CG NPS revealed that ACReSAL also provided a 20kva solar project to address the power challenges of the service and currently constructing a 5 Rooms Rangers Barracks in Seven National parks.
The Conservator General Appealed to the minister of Environment for the Review and development of management and system plans of the Eleven National parks and the Restoration of four hundred heacters of degraded lands in the Buffer’s zones of these parks.
Dr Goni also appealed to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Approach the states to handover more Forest and games Reserve to the federal government to be managed as National Parks.
