Cameroon's Minister of Forests and Wildlife, Jules Doret Ndongo, and his Nigerian Federal Environment counterpart, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, have jointly signed an agreement designed to protect transboundary ecosystems and ensure sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources. 

The agreement, initialled at a ceremony in Abuja, opens a new chapter of cooperation between the two nations in the field of biodiversity.

On the Cameroonian side, Faro, Tchabal Mbabo (in the process of being created), Takamanda, Korup and Waza national parks have been included in the agreement, with the possibility of adding other cross-border conservation areas in the future.

The agreement encourages enhanced cooperation to combat poaching and deforestation, and aims to develop a common management strategy that takes into account connectivity between protected areas.

It will also support the development of cross-border trade in timber, timber products and non-timber forest products, while promoting research, processing and adding value to forest products.

The parties undertake to mobilize funds and set up sustainable financing mechanisms, to jointly develop cross-border programs and to implement them over an initial three-year period, renewable thereafter.

Source : MINFOF

Vanessa Ntoh