30th March, 2023
By Femi Ogunshola
The House of Representatives on Thursday approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to establish ten new national parks.
This is a follow-up to the adoption of a motion at the plenary in Abuja by Rep. Ado Doguwa, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Earlier on Tuesday, the assembly’s upper chamber approved the request for the parks.
Doguwa stated that Buhari signed a declaration order designating 10 parks in Nigeria as national parks on November 16, 2022.
He stated that in accordance with Section 18 of the National Park Service Act, the president had requested the House’s concurrence in writing on the establishment of ten new national parks.
“Subject to this Act, the President with the concurrence of the National Assembly will publish in the gazette, declaring such areas in the federation as national parks,’’ he said.
This, he says, will be subject to the provisions of the Act; or, an order made under Subsection I of this section will set out the situation limits of each National Park.
He went on to say that it specifies the National Park’s intern management policy as well as its classification.
“Aware that the declaration Order, 2022 set out; the declaration of new National Parks; name, situation and limits of the new National Park; and constitution of the National Parks Management Committee.”
The 10 new National Parks declared in the Order are Allawa Game Reserve, Niger, Apoi Forest Reserve, Bayelsa, and Edumenum Reserve, Bayelsa.
Others include: Falgore Game Reserve, Kano State, Baturiya Wetland game Reserve, Jigawa, Kampe Forest Reserve, Kwara, Kogo Forest Reserve, Katsina State, Marhai Forest Reserve, Nasarawa State
Also on the list are; Oba Hill Forest Reserve, Osun and Pandam Forest Reserve, Plateau State.
NAN