Cross River

The Cross River landscape is home to the largest remaining forest block in Nigeria, characterised by a variety of habitats, ranging from dense rainforest to montane forest and high altitude grasslands, over an altitudinal gradient of 150 to over 1 700 m. It is adjacent to the forests of Cameroon. Its biodiversity is of global importance, and it is a centre of endemism for primates, birds, freshwater fish and amphibians. Cross River National Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is proposed as a World Heritage Site. The Support Programme for the Preservation of Forest Ecosystems in West Africa (PAPFor), in support of protected areas and cross-border collaboration, helps local communities to develop sustainable livelihoods compatible with maintaining forest cover.

For more information:
https://www.papfor.org/-Cross-River-56-

The PAPFor project started in the Cross River landscape in December 2019. It aims to ensure the effective conservation of tropical forests and wildlife, providing a critical and connected habitat for the recovery of Africa’s rarest gorillas and sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
The expected results are:

• The development of sustainable agriculture in association with neighbouring populations.
• The development of effective management systems for protected areas that include neighbouring populations.
• Educating communities and raising their awareness of conservation issues.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has successfully expanded its network of conservation clubs in schools surrounding Cross River National Park from 72 to 246. Awareness-raising activities, including school visits, field trips, film screenings and teacher training, were stepped up in July 2023. As a result, these clubs now have over 10 000 enthusiastic students, who are passionate about wildlife conservation and developing a sense of environmental responsibility.

For more information:
https://www.papfor.org/Conservation-education-reaches-out-to-schools-and-communities-surrounding-Cross

The PAPFor project in Cross River has created 16 new nurseries in the communities surrounding Cross River National Park and plans to raise and distribute 160 000 improved cocoa plants. In exchange for the seedlings and a WCS support programme, each farmer signs a ‘conservation contract’ and agrees to limit the expansion of cocoa into forest areas. Close monitoring of cocoa plantations to ensure traceability is an important part of the PAPFor project’s work in the landscape.

For more information: https://www.papfor.org/Improving-cocoa-sustainability-to-reduce-deforestation-and-improved-livelihoods-173

Building on regional action plans for the Cross River gorilla and the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been encouraging transboundary conservation collaboration between Nigeria and Cameroon since 2009. WCS and other organisations are currently working to link the two reserves in Nigeria’s Cross River State with the reserves in Cameroon to create a single transboundary biosphere reserve. The documents required for the proposal to create a transboundary UNESCO World Heritage Site have been initiated. The next steps include defining the boundaries of the site, a preliminary examination of the protection and management arrangements, and consultations with the communities.

For more information: https://www.papfor.org/Developing-Cross-River-National-Park-as-a-UNESCO-World-Heritage-Site

The wild mango (Irvingia spp), known as ogbono in Nigeria, is an essential food and economic resource for women in forest communities. Currently, over 90 % of the crop comes from the forest, but unsustainable harvesting is exacerbating deforestation and threatening local wildlife. WCS is working with 3 000 women to promote sustainable practices. The distribution of wild mango seedlings, the formation of cooperatives, the provision of credit and storage facilities are enabling sales at higher prices. This initiative boosts women’s incomes, food security and the preservation of forests and species such as gorillas.

For more information: https://www.papfor.org/Sustainable-Bush-Mango-Production-helps-Protect-Endangered-Wildlife-in-Cross

Cross River National Park covers an area of around 4 000 km² and is home to several rare and threatened species, including the Cross River gorilla, the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, the forest elephant, the forest buffalo, the drill, Preuss’s red colobus and Preuss’s guenon. However, these species are threatened by hunting to fuel the bushmeat trade, illegal logging and agricultural encroachment. PAPFor-supported ranger patrols in Cross River National Park in 2022 arrested 98 offenders and measured a sharp drop in the rate of metal snares encountered, by 70 % per kilometre.

For more information: https://www.papfor.org/Support-for-ranger-patrols-significantly-reduces-hunting-in-Cross-River

The radio drama ‘My Gorilla, My Community’ harnesses the power of media and storytelling to inspire positive change in attitudes and behaviour towards Cross River gorillas and their habitat. Recorded in a village, the script draws on everyday life in the target communities, reflecting the culture, conservation realities and challenges of the region, with characters’ stories interwoven with the issues to ensure it remains entertaining.

For more information: https://www.papfor.org/Using-radio-storytelling-to-change-environmental-attitudes-and-behaviours-in

The Cross River PAPFor programme was implemented from December 2019 to April 2024 by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in collaboration with the National Parks Service and the Cross River State Government.

The programme also worked closely with the USAID-funded ‘Watershed Protection for Safe and Sustainable Water Supply’ project, as well as various civil society organisations.

The Cross River landscape will continue to be supported by the European Union as part of its NaturAfrica initiative.