Martin Eze
Safari tourism experience in Nigeria is set to receive a boost in number. The Nigerian government has given approval for the establishment of 10 new national parks across the country.
This disclosure was made by the Conservator-General of the Nigeria Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Musa Goni while receiving in audience, executives of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), on a courtesy call at the Abuja headquarters earlier this week.
Speaking on this development, he said “His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari has approved these parks to increase Nigeria’s potentials for ecotourism.” The new parks to be established are: Alawa Game Reserve (Nigeria State); Apoi Forest Reserve (Bayelsa State); Edumenum Forest Reserve (Bayelsa State); Falgore Game Reserve (Kano State); Hadejia Wetlands Games Reserve (Nasarawa State); Kampe Forest Reserve (Kwara State); Kogo Forest Reserve (Katsina State); Marai Forest Reserve (Jigawa State); Oba Hill Forest Reserve (Osun State); and Pandam Forest Reserve (Plateau State). This sums the total number of national parks in the country to 17.
Also speaking, Dr Goni remarked that, Nigeria has the only marine park in West Africa, which is situated in the water-rich Bayelsa State. He also revealed that “the federal government is currently pursuing a PPP arrangement so that it can hands-off the excess load that it is carrying, which will help lessen its burden and give room for the private sector to invest in these assets.”
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