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Nuru Nigeria and ANI Support Rural Livelihoods and Conservation Near Nigeria’s Largest National Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 27, 2025

Contact: Simon | info@nurunigeria.org

ABUJA – Nuru Nigeria is pleased to announce its partnership with Africa Nature Investors (ANI) to implement the Gumti Sustainable Livelihoods Project (GSL) in communities surrounding Gashaka-Gumti National Park. This initiative will strengthen economic opportunities for local farmers while advancing conservation efforts in Nigeria’s largest national park.

A Collaborative Approach to Development and Conservation

The partnership between Nuru Nigeria and ANI is built on the recognition that thriving rural livelihoods, economic stability, and conservation are all interconnected. By expanding climate-smart agriculture practices and supporting sustainable livelihoods, the project aims to reduce pressures on the park’s natural resources while improving household food security and income.

man walks along Gashaka-Gumti National Park, where portions of trees have been cut down

Trees along the Gashaka-Gumti National Park border have been destroyed as surrounding communities face resource scarcity and encroach on the park for natural resources

During the project, GSL will reach 500 households, impacting over 3,000 people in communities around the park. The initiative is designed to be community-driven, ensuring that local farmers play a leading role in shaping the project’s activities and long-term impact.

Building Sustainable Rural Livelihoods

The GSL initiative focuses on practical approaches that help farmers increase productivity, build financial resilience, and adopt climate-smart agriculture practices. Key components of GSL include:

  • Form farmer-owned cooperative agribusinesses that equip farmers to pool their resources, improving their access to inputs,  markets, and training
  • Promote climate-smart agriculture, including soil conservation and water management. Climate-smart practices equip farmers to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
  • Provide training on home gardening to support increased household nutrition and reduce the reliance on forest resources.
  • Support savings and loan groups to provide farmers with financial tools to increasing their income, save for the future, and sustainably grow their agribusinesses
a road along the Gashaka-Gumti National Park demonstrates how close farmlands run to the park eliminating pastoralist access to the area

As farms increasingly encroach upon the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, pastoral routes are becoming increasingly narrow and increasing the likelihood of conflict among the groups. Here, a fence is used to keep pastoralists from grazing their cattle on the farm land.

By increasing opportunities for farming households, GSL reduces dependence on activities such as poaching, logging, and encroachment on protected areas, creating long-term benefits for both communities and the environment.

 

Strengthening Conservation Efforts in Gashaka-Gumti National Park

Gashaka-Gumti National Park is one of Nigeria’s most important conservation areas, home to diverse wildlife, including endangered species. However, high rates of extreme poverty locally have led to increased pressure on the park’s resources. Through this partnership, Nuru Nigeria and ANI will work with local communities to promote sustainable land use practices and access to alternative sources of income that align with conservation goals.

cattle grazing new Gashaka-Gumti National Park

In this region, pastoralists and farmers are often competing for the same scarce resources. These resources are further constrained as the local population grows and others move into the area due to forced migration.

Planned activities include:

  • Training on biodiversity and sustainable resource management
  • Collaboration with local leaders to integrate conservation into community priorities
  • Development of alternative livelihoods that offer a pathway out of poverty and into prosperity without harming destroying the local environment

“This partnership with Africa Nature Investors offers a path for communities to protect our heritage, the park, while building sustainable livelihoods that align with their aspirations. By working together, we can support both economic development and environmental protection in a way that benefits future generations.”  -Nuru Nigeria Managing Director Amy Gaman

A Model for Long-Term Change

 

image shows local sign warning people to stay out, with farmland behind the sign, demonstrating that the warning has not been heeded

The Gashaka-Gumti National Park sign provides a warning in the local language to discourage land use conversion; however, just beyond the sign, it’s clear that the land is being used for farming.

The GSL project is designed to lay the foundation for long-term community prosperity and sustained conservation efforts. As the GSL project moves forward, Nuru Nigeria and ANI invite stakeholders—including government agencies, private sector partners, and development organizations—to collaborate in scaling this model for sustainable rural development and conservation in marginalized communities of Nigeria.

 

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About Nuru Nigeria:

Nuru Nigeria is a local nonprofit organization that works to build a resilience corridor across northeastern Nigeria through a holistic nutrition-sensitive agribusiness approach, to end extreme poverty in Nigeria. Nuru Nigeria focuses on establishing self-sustainable farmer organizations, increasing access to financial services and literacy, and strengthening community-led development initiatives.

 

About Africa Nature Investors:

ANI Foundation is a Nigerian not-for-profit organization focused on the sustainable management of protected areas with outstanding biodiversity value in partnership with communities and government. ANI aims to establish enabling conditions for private sector investment to sustain protected areas, reducing their dependency on philanthropy and government spending.

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