- Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has approved plans to establish the first National Park in Nigeria’s South-East geopolitical zone.
- The governor revealed that Abia possesses 19 forest reserves, 18 of which are currently unencumbered and under review to select a primary location for the federal conservation project.
- Beyond biodiversity protection, the National Park project is set to drive ecotourism, create direct jobs, attract investment, and bolster local security through trained park rangers.
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has formally backed the establishment of the first-ever National Park in the South-East geopolitical zone, designating Abia State as the pioneer host for the conservation project.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Governor Otti announced the approval during a working visit by a high-level delegation from the National Park Service (NPS), led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, at his office.
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Describing the initiative as timely, the governor pledged full state government support to ensure the swift realization of the project.
Highlighting a administrative coincidence, Governor Otti noted that he had, earlier on the same day, authorized the Ministry of Environment to trace and assess forest reserves across the state.
He revealed that Abia holds 19 designated forest reserves, 18 of which remain open for consideration. The ultimate goal, according to the governor, is to establish at least one conserved area in each of the state’s 17 Local Government Areas.
To execute the project, Governor Otti directed the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, to lead a specialized technical team comprising climate change experts and NPS officials to identify the most suitable reserve for upgrade to a national park.
Emphasizing the ecological imperative of the venture, Otti stated, “Nature is something you cannot do away with. Sometimes, when you think you have overcome nature through technology, nature will still rise. That is why conservation is very important.”
Earlier in the meeting, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu pointed out that the South-East was currently the only geopolitical zone in Nigeria without a National Park, a glaring omission he commended Governor Otti for moving to correct.
The NPS Chairman emphasized that the park would deliver transformative socio-economic benefits to Abia State, including employment generation, boost in ecotourism, revenue growth, and enhanced security via the deployment of armed park rangers.
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