-Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) –From Mike SOGBOLO/ North-East Bureau:
Gashaka Gumti National Park, the nation’s largest park has received a boost with a donation of accessories from Africa Nature Investors.
The park, which is located in Taraba and Adamawa states, and hosting animal such as chimpanzees, monkeys, antelopes, Buffalo, pangolins and leopards, on Tuesday received the donation of items such as uniform materials, firearms and ammunition and anti-poaching patrol equipment, worth N74.5 million.
Receiving the items, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, recalled that his ministry on the 5th of November 2018 inaugurated the local organizing committee made up of members drawn from the National Park Service, Africa Nature Investors, Staff of the Ministry and a representative from the local community of Gashaka Gumti National Park to enhance proper implementation of the partnership agreement as provided for under the joint responsibility among the parties in the agreement.
He said “the role of Public-Private Partnership in conservation activities cannot be over-emphasized particularly with the deficit in infrastructural facilities, technical and financial support in the area of conservation, research and tourism activities in our conservation enclaves.”
He said this, “no doubt informed the decision for this collaboration between an Agency under my Ministry (National Park Service) and Africa Nature Investors, (ANI).”
Earlier, the Conservator General, National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni said
“realizing the importance of this innovative idea in ensuring sustainable funding to improve infrastructure and make Gashaka Gumti National Park a global tourist heaven, and coupled with the desire of the Federal Government to partially commercialize some of our National Parks, the Service favourably considered the proposal for partnership agreement as submitted by the non-governmental organization.”
He noted that: “The collaboration was conceived and entered into through proper consultation with relevant stakeholders such as the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), the Legal Unit of Ministry of Environment before the agreement was signed.”
