WACN Kainji Lake National Park Project
On the 27th of October 2023, through the Nigeria National Park Service, we signed a 31 year arrangement to support the government of Nigeria in the protection and restoration of the Kainji Lake National Park in Nigeria and it’s incredible wildlife, as well as supporting surrounding rural human communities.
Kainji Lake National Park is one of the last great wilderness areas of western Africa. It’s 2000 square miles expanse of land is home to incredible wildlife including some of West Africa’s last lions, leopards, buffalos, hippopotamuses, elephants, multitudes of antelopes, among others.
Unfortunately, there are many issues with Kainji today preventing it from reaching its potential and its ability to become a socioeconomic catalyst for neighboring communities. WACN is working to change that.
Our most immediate challenge with Kainji today though is insecurity - the park has become a hibernation for armed bandits that have continued to pose a threat to National Park personnel and neighboring rural communities. Lives have been lost as a result of the presence of these armed groups and their nefarious activities.
WACN desperately needs resources to save this park and it’s amazing wildlife, and to make the park secure so that we can get it to become economically viable and self sufficient, and so that it can help support neighboring rural communities socioeconomically.
Our first task since signing our MOU, is tackling the security issues currently afflicting the park. This task needs a lot of money. We want to raise and spend approximately £5 million annually to save this park. The situation at Kainji is desperate, and needs intervention quickly.
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Please check out the following camera trap image of a herd of West African hartebeest moving through the bush at Kainji below:
