and counting
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) is the premier Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to nature conservation and sustainable development in Nigeria. Established in 1980, the Foundation was registered in 1982 as a Charitable Trust under the Land (Perpetual Succession) Act of 1961 – a policy that was replaced by the Company and Allied Matters Act of 1990. Founded by late Chief S. L. Edu, NCF has its patron as the President and Commander- In-Chief of the Armed Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Foundation has a vision of “a Nigeria where people prosper while living in harmony with nature”. This vision drives its Mission to preserve the full range of Nigeria’s biodiversity which includes species, ecosystems and genetic biodiversity; promote the sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of present.
- 1984 – Assisted to develop National Conservation Strategy
- 1985 – Supported the enactment of Endangered Species Decree
- 1990 – Established the Lekki Conservation Centre
- 1992 – Established the Hadejia-Nguru wetland conservation project
Forest Programme
The forest programme has its focus on conserving and recovering Nigeria’s forest cover which is being depleted at an alarming rate. As a response to this, NCF deliberately developed an Initiative – Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN), as the flagship programme of the Foundation. The goal of GRN is to help increase forest cover from its current state of about 4-7% to 25% by 2047.
Species Conservation
The conservation of wildlife species and their habitats occupies a central position in the work of NCF. This focus on species is influenced by several factors. First, is the fact that species face serious conservation challenges. Further, the degradation of their habitats and sometimes the larger ecosystem which they occupy has continued unabated. Since species play varied roles in ecosystem maintenance and habitat management, their conservation is regarded as crucial for general ecosystem processes.
Climate Change
NDC and Climate Policy Technical Support- NCF provide support for the national government on the review and implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) through strengthening climate policies like NAP and promoting its adoption by relevant stakeholders. In recent years NCF advocated for integration of nature-based solution into national climate action plans through nation-wide youth-driven march, rally, dialogues, high-level summits and workshops.
