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Nigeria Biodiversity and Tropical Forests 118/119 Assessment NIGERIA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS 118/119 ASSESSMENT January 2013 This report was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared by USDA Forest Service Office of International Programs. Cover Graphic: Lowland rainforest in Cross River National Park. Photo courtesy of Beth Hahn. NIGERIA BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS 118/119 ASSESSMENT January 2013 Prepared by Beth Hahn USDA Forest Service This project was made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of a Participating Agency Partnership Agreement (PAPA) No. AEG-T-00-07-00003-00 between USAID and the USDA Forest Service International Programs. Funds were provided by the USAID Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development, Economic Growth, Environment and Agriculture Division (AFR/SD/EGEA) under the Biodiversity Analysis and Technical Support (BATS) program. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... 1 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 A1. Environmental and Natural Resource Management Context in Nigeria.......................... 3 A2. Current U.S. Government Programming Efforts in Nigeria ............................................ 7 A3. Background on USAID Activities in Nigeria .................................................................. 7 A4. Rationale for a 118/119 Assessment in Nigeria ............................................................. 10 B. Legislative and Institutional Structures Affecting Biodiversity and Forestry ................................ 11 B1. Environmental Policies, Legislation, and Treaties ......................................................... 11 B2. Principal Institutions of Nigeria Involved with the Environment .................................. 13 B3. The Local and International NGO Community.............................................................. 15 B4. Donor Organizations ...................................................................................................... 21 C. Status and Management of Natural Resources ................................................................................. 26 C1. Protected Areas .............................................................................................................. 26 C2. Endangered Species........................................................................................................ 31 C3. Forest Resources ............................................................................................................ 34 C4. Conservation Outside of Protected Areas ...................................................................... 36 D. Major Threats to Biodiversity and Tropical Forest Conservation .................................................. 38 D1. Poverty and population growth ...................................................................................... 38 D2. Habitat degradation and overexploitation of natural resources ..................................... 38 D3. Institutional and management challenges ...................................................................... 39 Annex A – References ............................................................................................................................... 45 Annex B – Itinerary and Contacts ........................................................................................................... 48 ACRONYMS AfDB African Development Bank APLORI A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute ARADIN African Research and Development in Nigeria ARCN Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria AU African Union BDCP Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme BGR German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources BMZ German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programmme CAMM Conservation Association of the Mbe Mountains CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBJ Congressional Budget Justification CBO Community-based organization CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CCDI Community Conservation and Development Initiatives CENRAD Centre for Environment, Renewable Natural Resources, Management, Research & Development CERCOPAN Centre for Education, Research & Conservation of Primates and Nature CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CI Conservation International CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora CORAF Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Developpement Agricoles DEENET Delta Environment Network ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States ERA Environmental Rights Action FAN Forestry Association of Nigeria FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FEPA Federal Environmental Protection Agency FME Federal Ministry of Environment FoEN Friends of the Earth, Nigeria GAWA Green Actors of West Africa Network GCLME Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environment Facility GIZ Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GON Government of Nigeria HDI Human Development Index IBA Important Bird Area ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture IPDA Integrated Peace and Development Alliance Nigeria Biodiversity and Tropical Forests: 118/119 Assessment i IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LCB Lake Chad Basin LCBC Lake Chad Basin Commission LEEMP Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project NCE National Council for Environment NCF Nigerian Conservation Foundation NDDC Niger Delta Development Commission NDPI Niger Delta Partnership Initiative NDWC Niger Delta Wetlands Center NECC Nigeria Energy and Climate Change project NEEP Nigeria Expands Exports Program NES Nigerian Environmental Society NESREA National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency NEST Nigerian Environment Action Study Team NEXTT Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transportation Project NFS Nigerian Field Society NGO Non-Governmental Organization NHI Natural Heritage Institute NigeriaCAN Nigeria Climate Action Network NIOMR Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research NTFP Non-timber forest products PEPFAR President’s Plan for AIDS Relief PIND Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta Foundation POP Persistent Organic Pollutants PRODEBALT Program for Sustainable Development of the Lake Chad Basin RA Rainforest Alliance SCN Savanna Conservation Nigeria SLM Sustainable Land Management SPACE Sustainable Practices in Agriculture for Critical Environments STEWARD Sustainable and Thriving Environment for West African Regional Development UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program UNEP United Nations Environment Program UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change USAID United States Agency for International Development USFWS United States Fish & Wildlife Service WCS Wildlife Conservation Society WECARD West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development WEP Women Environmental Programme WRDSEM Water Resources Development & Sustainable Ecosystems Management Program WWF World Wide Fund for Nature ii Nigeria Biodiversity and Tropical Forests: 118/119 Assessment ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This assessment was strengthened by field visits to Lagos and Cross River State, and partner meetings in Abuja, which relied heavily on the planning, logistics and coordination provided by the USAID/Nigeria Mission. In particular, Nduka Okaro was instrumental to successful meetings with partners. Additional thanks to Happiness Fashola, Anafrida Bwenge, Imeh Okon, Howard Batson, and Eric Florimon-Reed for their goodwill, cooperation, and coordination. Many other individuals generously contributed their time to improve this assessment by answering a broad array of questions about Nigeria and its natural resources; the complete list of contacts can be found in Annex B. Thanks to each of them for the information they provided. I hope that this assessment may also be of value to them and their organizations. Nigeria Biodiversity and Tropical Forests: 118/119 Assessment iii iv Nigeria Biodiversity and Tropical Forests: 118/119 Assessment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria faces extreme and mounting pressures on biodiversity and forestry resources of national and global significance. The major threats to biodiversity and tropical forests in Nigeria include both direct and indirect factors related to: Poverty and population growth; Habitat degradation and overexploitation of natural resources; and, Institutional and management
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