Biodiversity conservation problems and their implications on ecotourism in Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study investigated the prevalence of conservation and management problems affecting biodiversity and their implications on ecotourism activities in Kainji Lake National Park, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria. Data were collected from villagers in support zone communities and protection staff of the park with questionnaires. The study revealed that Livestock grazing and poaching are the major problems affecting biodiversity in the park. In addition, insufficient funding and poor salary for protection staff are the major management problems affecting conservation of biodiversity. Implications of these on ecotourism activities of the park are low level of tourist inflow and revenue generated by the parks as well as low benefit accruable to the local economy and the economy of the country as a whole. It was suggested that to reduce the spate of illegal activities, conservation awareness aimed at changing local people’s attitude, the provision of essential infrastructural facilities and improvement in peoples’ living conditions should be embarked upon by the management of the park and government.