NCF trains Niger women, hunters, others on sustainable livelihoods

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), with the support of International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Save Our Species (IUCNSOS), and funded by European Union (EU), has organised a four-day training for women, youths, hunters and rangers.

Declaring open the workshop, which was held at the weekend at the Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa, Borgu Local Council of Niger State,  NCF’s Director General, Dr Joseph Onoja, explained that his organisation engaged the participants from the support zone communities of Kainji Lake National on sustainable livelihood options like grass-cutter rearing, bee-keeping and shea butter production.

With the theme, “Community Support Group, Capacity Building Workshop for the Conservation of the Boundaries of Kainji Lake National Park, the training was to improve their livelihoods, while sustaining the environment and biodiversity.

Speaking through the Species Conservation Manager, Dr Stella Egbe, the DG explained that the foundation has been working nationwide in the last four decades to protect and conserve the nation’s unique ecosystem, pointing out that the organisation had the vision of a Nigeria where people prosper while living in harmony with nature, stating that with the support of EU and IUCNSOS, the foundation was depending framework of the Kainji Lake National Park to push that vision.

His words: “Through this project, we have built the capacity of rangers on habitat and biodiversity monitoring using technology, raised awareness in local communities by promoting the adoption of climate-smart agriculture and farming practices, using nature-based solutions and raising awareness in local communities.”

The NCF boss highlighted that the foundation started the project in 2022, appreciating the management of Kainji Lake National Park for being instrumental in the progress.

He hinted that NCF had trained 100 women,50 hunters and 5O rangers on different components of the project since 2022.