Assessing Effectiveness of Forest Resource Management Approaches in Niger Delta: Comparative Analysis of Mbe Mountains and Cr National Park

Abstract

For years now the forest contents of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have been seriously exploited to the penury of the world. Local public bodies and international Non-governmental (NGOs) conservative organizations have adopted several management strategies to achieve sustainability in managing these forest resources to little or no avail. This study is undertaken to assess and compare effective management approaches of two protected areas (PAs) in Cross River state to discover which one is more sustainably managed and the reasons. The publicly-owned and managed Oban Hills and community-owned and managed Mbe Mts. were chosen for study using survey approach. Structured questionnaires were distributed, retrieved and analyzed using simple frequency tables. It was discovered that the community-based managed Mbe Mts. was more sustainably managed than the public-owned and managed Oban Hills. The study recommends that for any PA to be managed sustainably, the indigenous people must be involved in all spheres of its management.

Key words: Sustainable management, endemic species, biodiversity, forest resources, indigenous people, Protected Areas (PAs)