nigeria: building up community forest management

Friends of the Earth Nigeria / Environmental Rights Action are seeking to conserve the country’s forest and natural resources. They also aim to create a platform for all Nigerian communities to have a voice, and influence policy, on resource extraction, environmental protection, and enhancement of sustainable forest use and community livelihood. They took these goals and applied them to the case of Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve.

what happened: FoE Nigeria sought to raise awareness amongst the forest-dependent Iguobazuwa community on the need to know and exercise their rights. They embarked on field trips to Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve to determine the extent of forest degradation, and to raise awareness and mobilise communities to challenge the external forces that threaten the forest. Finally, they conducted media campaigns to build the public agenda for forest protection. 

Speaking to FoE Nigeria, two community leaders, Mr. A Omorogbe and Mr. Melody Enabulele elaborated on their dilemma, saying, “We blame the State Government for this. We were not aware of the arrangement with Michelin to come and take over our forest and farmlands. They just told Michelin to come and meet us, after it has been leased to them.”

what is changing: Until FoE Nigeria’s visit to Iguobazuwa, community members had been brainwashed into believing that Michelin’s rubber plantation was a sign of development. FoE Nigeria’s project’s awareness-raising campaign succeed in reaching 80 per cent of forest-dependent people in the area, and interest on the need to improve, defend and harness community forest resources has risen.

The community members resolved that the Forestry Department of every state should wake up to their responsibility of protecting, preserving and regenerating the forests, instead of acting as vendors and agents of forest destruction. They also agreed to set up a community forest watch to defend these resources, and agreed that private plantations should be sanctioned if they extend beyond their designated areas. Finally, they resolved that Michelin be made to fully compensate the community for the period they occupied the land illegally, and that every tree felled by Michelin should be replanted.

Many have seen FoE Nigeria’s involvement as a breakthrough, providing hope for the forest-dependent poor. It has also empowered the community to insist on a proper Environmental Impact Assessment process in order for any project to proceed. Finally, the Iguobazuwa community members resolved to engage in an agreement, rather than sign a memorandum of understanding with Michelin Nigeria. In addition, officials of Okomu National Park in Edo state have agreed to work with FoE Nigeria to protect the National Park and nearby forests.

what we learned: To confront the myth that Michelin’s encroachment was a sign of better things to come, FoE Nigeria had to engage community leaders in a series of consultations and meetings. Furthermore, physical access to the community was quite challenging.

The project confirmed that Nigeria’s government has been passive on the issue of deforestation; in this case the Iguobazuwa state concession was allotted to Michelin Nigeria on the eve of the former state government leaving office, most likely without due process.

what next:  FoE Nigeria wants to organise more training and workshops on forest-related issues and forest livelihood rights.  They believe that forming a strong alliance and mounting pressure on Michelin to desist from destruction of the Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve will achieve good results.

with thanks to our funders: the sigrid rausing trust