Goni calls for private sector participation to reposition National Parks
The Conservator General, National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim M. Goni has called for private sector participation through the partial commercialization programme of the federal government to reposition the National Parks.
Speaking at the Naija 7 Wonder webinar conference over the weekend, Dr Goni also called on spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the National Park Service by donating projects and programmes that will foster conservation and ecotourism in the National Parks.
The CG observed that the present effort to improve security should be enhanced in terms of insurgency and banditry downgrading and good road network development both inside and outside the Parks.
He urged the government to make concerted effort to develop National Parks in Nigeria to bring ecotourism on stream as an additional source of government revenue especially now that so many nations are gradually disengaging from the use of fossil fuel.
Goni stated further that the National parks in the country are bedevilled by the challenges of insecurity (in most parts of the country), poor Park Infrastructure (accessibility to and within the Parks), lack of private sector involvement, poor domestic tourism by Nigerians.
He listed other challenges facing the National Parks to include poor communication facilities in Parks, low manpower development, lack of disposable income to embark on leisure travel and lack of political will to enhance conservation and foster ecotourism development as alternative source of government revenue.
Goni explained that the National Parks play immense roles in medicine, research, education, agriculture, tourism, spiritualism and are critical components in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
He said most of the National Parks are open to activities and are accessible by road and air, except for Chad Basin and Kamuku National Parks .
According to him, “the seven National Parks in the country have beautiful landscapes and diverse scenic ecosystems that provide unique opportunities for local and international tourists to experience active outdoor recreation, inspiration and tranquility.
“Apart from generating revenue to the federation, the tourism direction of the Park Service also provides meaningful and realistic opportunities for the local communities to engage in and benefit from ecotourism.
Modest accommodation and recreational facilities exist in most of the National Parks for visitors to engage in wilderness experience and game viewing as well as sport fishing, boating, bird watching .ong others”.
Naija 7 Wonder webinar conference series is organised by Ambassado Ikechi Uko, the organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market and publisher of atq.com.
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