Nestled in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State, Okomu National Park stands as one of Nigeria’s last strongholds of tropical rainforest heritage.
Birds call from the towering mahogany trees as a light mist drifts through the dense foliage.
Kowei Kingsley, a 31-year-old ranger, tightens his bootlaces and checks his GPS tracker before setting out with his team for their daily patrol — a constant effort to deter illegal loggers, poachers, and farmers from nearby villages who have long threatened the forest’s survival.
Yet Kingsley wasn’t always a conservationist. His transformation came after a non-profit initiative began involving local residents in sustainable livelihood projects, turning former forest exploiters into protectors.
Only a few years ago, Kingsley was one of those who entered the forest with a chainsaw, felling trees and hunting wildlife to sustain his family.
“I didn’t realise the harm we were doing; we thought the forest would last forever,” he said. “When the animals vanished and the tall trees became scarce, it finally dawned on me that we were destroying our future.”
Now, he urges others to preserve the forest, explaining that trees help regulate the air, control erosion and wind, and provide shelter for both humans and wildlife.
Kingsley is among many residents living around Okomu who once saw the park as an obstacle to their livelihoods.
Covering over 202 square kilometres, Okomu National Park represents one of the last remnants of Nigeria’s vast rainforest ecosystem. It shelters forest elephants, white-throated monkeys, buffaloes, bush pigs, duikers, and over 150 bird species — many of them endangered.
What was once a biodiversity haven gradually became a battleground between human survival and environmental sustainability.
Another ranger, Israel Nosakhare from the Udo community, shared that animals like monkeys and buffaloes once roamed freely. “We admired them from afar,” he recalled, “but years of hunting and logging silenced the forest.”
The depletion of wildlife and vegetation, he said, motivated him to join the ranger team to “protect what’s left and restore what was lost.”
When Mr. Lawrence Osaze took over as Conservator of Park in 2022, he found “a place in total disorder.” But that year also marked a turning point — a new community-led conservation model, introduced through a partnership between the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation and the National Park Service (NPS), began changing the park’s fortunes.
This approach restored order, rebuilt community trust, and shifted conservation from enforcement to collaboration. Those once threatening the forest are now among its defenders.
Today, 38 rangers recruited by ANI — mostly young men from surrounding communities — patrol the forest daily using GPS-based SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools) to track wildlife and detect illegal activity.
According to Peter Abanyam, ANI’s Project Manager for Okomu, “Before, we heard chainsaws every week; now, months can pass without one. Patrols now cover over 80 per cent of the park.” Camera traps have also captured over 32 forest elephants, including calves — proof that the population is rebounding.
Beyond patrolling, the initiative links conservation with community welfare. Six Savings and Loan Groups (SLGs) have been formed in neighbouring settlements such as Udo, Iguewan, Okomu AT&P, and Ugolo. These groups, made up mostly of women and youths, provide small loans, savings opportunities, and entrepreneurship training.
Rita Jerome, a 35-year-old from Okomu AT&P, said the scheme helped her start poultry farming. “Before, I had no access to capital,” she said. “Now I supply eggs to nearby communities.”
Similarly, cocoa farmer Sikiru Azeez said the initiative reduced villagers’ reliance on the forest: “People now have other sources of income.”
Over 120 residents have benefited, spreading both economic and environmental awareness across communities surrounding the park.
The Edo State Forestry Commission has also endorsed the ANI-NPS partnership. Its chairman, Valentine Asue, called Okomu the “lungs of Edo State,” vital for climate resilience and biodiversity.
He noted that the state’s regeneration policy — requiring five trees to be planted for each one cut down — aligns with ANI’s goals. Recently, a 30-room accommodation block was built for rangers to improve their welfare.
Community relations, once hostile, have now evolved into collaboration. “Before now, we had frequent clashes,” Osaze said. “Today, communities alert us about illegal activities before we even arrive. That mindset shift is our biggest achievement.”
Despite progress, Nigeria still ranks among the top ten countries losing tropical forest cover fastest. Between 2001 and 2023, it lost about 1.9 million hectares, a 14 per cent decline according to Global Forest Watch.
Experts like Dr. Stella Egbe of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) stress that conservation efforts succeed only when communities are fully involved. “Okomu’s model works because it aligns conservation with local culture and livelihoods,” she said.
The rainforest also plays a key role in climate mitigation, acting as a massive carbon sink that absorbs thousands of tonnes of CO₂ annually — a contribution aligned with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
However, the park still faces logistical and funding challenges: inadequate patrol vehicles, unmapped boundaries, and occasional encroachments. ANI is collaborating with the Edo GIS Agency to clearly define the park’s borders.
Scaling up the Okomu model across Edo’s 49 forest reserves will require long-term investment, consistent policy support, and sustained community engagement.
If expanded successfully, Okomu’s story could serve as Nigeria’s blueprint for balancing livelihoods with lasting conservation.