Communique Issued at the End of a Virtual Consultative Meeting with Stakeholders on the Deforestation in Cross River State, with the Theme ‘Framing Strategies for Ending Deforestation and Protecting Wildlife in the Cross River State Forest’ on the 21st of July, 2023.

The meeting was organized as a space for civil society actors and other traditional conservationists to close ranks and craft new campaigns and strategies for forest and wildlife protection in Cross River state; as well as to adopt a common position and front in engaging the state government on forest and wildlife protection. 

The forum, which was attended by civil society organisations, academics, environmentalists, communities, the media, and climate change activists, emphasised that the Cross River forests have been declining rapidly for at least the past eight years. During this time, the state government has taken no significant efforts to halt what has become the world’s most intense pace of deforestation. The discussion also emphasised how the loss of forest cover was negatively harming the well-being of wildlife in Cross River state, as well as Cross River state’s potential as a climate change mitigation champion.

The meeting also noted the following;

• That undeniable data demonstrates that the Cross River forest is experiencing unconstrained and uncontrolled logging in all forests, including state reserves and the National Park.
• That, while paying lip service to climate change mitigation programmes and pledging ecological preservation, the state’s previous government implemented a policy that allowed and even encouraged logging.
• That the previous administration’s policies weakened all frameworks for protecting forests and sanctioning forest crimes, resulting in the emergence and growth of local and international logging cartels, as well as the co-option of law enforcement agents in the illicit business.
• That, although the arrival of a new administration in Cross River state gives a chance to design and execute new forest management policies and plans, the government’s early stance on deforestation has not displayed the requisite anger. 

The meeting also noted that there have lately been requests to repeal the state’s 15-year prohibition on logging in the state’s forests, most notably by the state House of Assembly. The Assembly’s demand is based on the premise that the moratorium was ineffective and may have led to an increase in logging. While the conference acknowledged that the moratorium had failed to reduce illicit logging in the long term, it resolved not to endorse a quick reversal of the policy.

Following the forging, the consultations endorsed the following resolutions;

1. While the moratorium on illegal wood extraction established by the state government in 2008 may have been ineffective in curbing deforestation, it is vital to review the entire period of the ban and determine when, how and why it failed. Hastily ending the ban will provide no lessons from the 15-year policy. To this effect, the meeting resolved to initiate a CSO-Community-Government consultation process aimed at reviewing the performance and pitfalls of the moratorium.
2. It was resolved that Civil Society Organizations should intensify their engagements with communities, especially those located in forested areas. It is only when their buy-into forest protection is fully secure that the required enforcement of forest protection principles will succeed.
3. The current strategy of establishing armed check points along highways is ineffective. At best, it only accomplishes seizing illegally acquired timber when the damage has already been done, and exposing law enforcement officials to bribes. The more prudent and efficient strategy is to take the campaign and checks into the forests, and prevent the cutting of trees in the first place.
4. The Forestry Commissions needs to be strengthened to do its job of forest protection. Currently, the Commission lacks experienced Foresters in its ranks, lacks the infrastructure to check deforestation and is highly exposed to corruption.
5. The Forestry Commissions needs to be strengthened to do its job of forest protection. Currently, the Commission lacks experienced Foresters in its ranks, lacks the infrastructure to check deforestation and is highly exposed to corruption.