Roadmap Outlined to Protect Indigenous Lands and Drive Sustainable Forest Management
Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria 19th August 2025:
Chiefs, Indigenous and local leaders, commissioners and senior government officials met last week for an in-country workshop on the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment, titled Towards a Forest Rights Commitment.
This ambitious commitment aims to recognise and secure a substantive number of hectares of Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ lands and territories and strengthen existing legislation. Participants discussed how the Commitment could be implemented in the Cross River State – affectionally dubbed ‘the nation’s paradise.’
Experts and academics from the region discussed forest tenure and customary rights in the region, as well as case studies, including the Ekuri Initiative. The Ekuri Community in the Cross River State started an initiative in the early 1990s to manage their community forest adjacent to the National Park, home to the critically endangered Cross River gorilla.
Formalised through the Ekuri Initiative, planned community forest management has helped to drive local development, conservation, sustainable forest management and address poverty by improving access to sustainable livelihoods. Participants discussed lessons learnt, and how to expand initiatives such as Ekuri.
At the end of the two-day workshop, participants drafted a five-year roadmap, with proposed milestones for Nigeria’s endorsement of the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment. Ideas suggested included strengthened community-based financing and mapping, legislative reviews and ongoing consultations with governments, funders, and local communities.
Mr. Moses Ama, Director of Forestry – Federal Ministry of Environment, said “tenure security is not merely a legal formality; it is the foundation for climate action, biodiversity protection, and sustainable livelihoods. Here in Cross River, communities like Ekuri and Iko Esai have already shown us that when local people are empowered to steward their forests, the benefits extend far beyond their boundaries. This workshop is our chance to build on those examples, close the gaps, and send a clear signal that Nigeria is ready to lead in securing forest rights as part of our climate and development agenda”
High Chief Achu said “the government should not only organize workshops like this regularly but also honour its obligations to communities. Loyalty and benefits due to us must be paid, and proper checks enforced on what is taken from our forests. With the right support — including mobility for supervision and adequate backing for the Forestry Commission — communities will be better equipped to conserve the forests that sustain us all.”
Dr. Ogigha Odigha, said “every community must have an effective engagement process, supported by civil society, to help people advocate for their rights. Laws alone are not enough; unless the government is willing to implement them and communities are empowered to speak up, tenure security will remain on paper rather than in practice.”
