FG seeks collaboration on national parks conservation

The Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam, has called on private organisations to collaborate with the federal government to revive and ensure the protection of National Parks.

Making the call while receiving the chairman of T.Y. Danjuma Holdings Ltd in Abuja, Mrs. Mallam identified the incessant degradation, poaching of wide life which leads to threats of extinction of some of the wide life species mostly elephants and attacks on parks protection officers as some of the critical challenges bedevilling the development and sustainability of the nation’s national parks.

The minister who noted that the ministry has stepped up concerted actions to address some of these challenges, appealed to stakeholders at all levels to commit themselves to the protection and conservation of the environment and its natural resources for sustainable development.

While revealing the efforts by the government to address some of these challenges, she availed that the national park has been upgraded to the full status of a paramilitary organisation, explaining that with the new status, the National Park Service will now be able to curtail incidences of poaching and sporadic attacks on park personnel.
The environment boss commended the chairmen of T.Y. Danjuma Holdings Ltd and the executive director of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation for their efforts at providing support to Government in her efforts to provide an enabling environment for the sustainable development of our national parks in the country.

According to her, such support will further enlighten, inspire and encourage everyone to deepen commitment in the conservation of our forest resources and biodiversity for environmental management and Socio-economic development in Nigeria.
Earlier in his address, chairman of T.Y. Danjuma Holdings Ltd, Rt. Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, commended the federal government for its efforts in preserving the environment, promising to collaborate with government at all level to do everything humanly possible to protect, restore and preserve Nigeria’s natural habitat.

General Danjuma disclosed that his motivation to involve  with issues of environmental concern is informed by the current levels of environmental degradations, which he said were almost non-existent seven decades ago when he grew up as a child.
General Danjuma explained that his experience in Botswana and other parts of the world shows that proper management of the environment has contributed immensely to tourism and revenue generation for such nations.