New wine in an old skin: The reality of tropical moist forest conservation in Nigeria

This paper examines the most recent initiative in TMF conservation in the form of the Cross River National Park (CRNP) project. Against the background of general problems of environmental and resource conservation in Nigeria, and in specific terms, the poor record of previous TMF management and conservation, it is argued that the CRNP is a new wine in an old skin, and may not be making any meaningful difference in checking the extent and rates of TMF loss in Nigeria. Two fundamental challenges critical to the sustainability of the CRNP are discussed, namely, sustaining local community support and engendering institutional co-operation. The paper concludes that to succeed, new TMF conservation initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa need to be built on a proper understanding and analysis of the wider context of environmental and resource conservation policy and the track record of their implementation.