Avoiding the mistakes of the past: towards a community oriented management strategy for the proposed National Park in Abuja-Nigeria

In recent times, the roles of local participation in what was previously perceived as pure public- service delivery has come to the forefront of policy debate and academic research. In this connection, this paper focuses on the roles of local communities in the management of protected ecosystems using the proposed Abuja national park as a case study. Based on the analysis of the results of a socio-economic survey of the communities in the study area, the paper argues that the sustainable conservation of the proposed park can only be achieved if a management scheme that will integrate, empower and involve the local communities in the planning and implementation of the park management programme is put in place. The paper suggests a collaborative strategy such as that of the Co-ordinated Resource Management which has the features of promoting an atmosphere of open communication, ensuring voluntary participation of stakeholders and guaranteeing decisions by consensus rather than those that enforce decisions using legal and political means.