Overview
The project aims to protect some of the country's most biologically diverse natural forests and the forest dependant populations of the threatened Bannerman’s weaver, Crossley’s ground thrush and the rare Nigerian chimpanzee.
Taraba State in the east of Nigeria is one of the most biologically diverse areas in Nigeria. It is home to the 6,700 square kilometre Gashaka Gumti National Park, the largest park in the country. It is also home to the forests of the Mambilla Mountains and the Donga River valley, two sites that are Important Bird Areas. The forests of Taraba State are under great threat. Rural communities in the state are some of Nigeria’s poorest. This fact, combined with poor management of natural forests by the state and the threat of forest clearance for agriculture, means that new approaches are needed to protect the forests. The forests and communities are in isolated areas, far from the main cities and a lower priority for the government. A key requirement is therefore to develop agreements with the communities to allow them to manage the forests and benefit from sustainable use.
The project aims to protect the threatened forests of Taraba State in Nigeria by increasing the role of forest edge communities in the day-to-day management of these forests.
