On February 25, 2026, we convened a media briefing to present our report titled “Recommended Reviews of the Cross River State Forestry Law, 2010.” The report is the outcome of a six-month consultative process involving communities, civil society organizations, academics, legal experts, conservationists, and legislative stakeholders who examined gaps in the existing law and developed consensus-based recommendations for reform.
With Cross River State having lost over 60% of its original forest cover despite being home to
Nigeria’s largest remaining tropical rainforest, the briefing highlighted the urgent need to modernize the Forestry Law to reflect current environmental, climate, and governance realities.
Key recommendations include aligning forest governance with climate commitments,
strengthening sanctions against illegal logging, reforming institutional structures, promoting
ecotourism, and ensuring meaningful inclusion of indigenous and forest-dependent communities in decision-making.
The event marked the beginning of a broader advocacy push for legislative action to safeguard
the state’s forests, biodiversity, livelihoods, and long-term economic future. Full Text below
Media Briefing
Presentation of the Report: Recommended Reviews of the Cross River State Forestry Law- The Imperatives of an Amended Cross River State Forestry Law
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the media and representatives of civil society.
First, we thank you deeply for making the time to honour our invitation to attend this media briefing.
Your presence reinforces the bond between civil society and the media in the task of building a better society. Thank you for joining us today.
We are here to formally present our report titled “Recommended Reviews of the Cross River State Forestry Law, 2010.” This review is the product of a series of meetings and deliberations convened over a six-month period, bringing together organizations, communities, academics, lawyers, legislative experts, and conservationists. Through structured consultations and technical engagements, participants examined gaps in the Cross River State Forestry Law, 2010 and developed consensus-based recommendations for its reform.
The Urgency of the Moment
Cross River State is home to Nigeria’s largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest ecosystem. These forests form a vital part of the remaining Lower Guinean rainforest belt in West Africa. They provide habitat for endangered species, regulate climate systems, protect watersheds, sustain forest-dependent communities, and contribute significantly to carbon sequestration.Yet, despite their importance, our forests are disappearing.
Cross River State has lost over 60 percent of its original forest cover. Large areas that were once dense rainforest have become degraded lands and grasslands. Thousands of logs are extracted daily—both legally and illegally. Wildlife hunting and trade continue to threaten biodiversity. Agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, and weak enforcement mechanisms have compounded the crisis. The situation is not simply environmental. It is economic. It is social. It is generational. If urgent reforms are not undertaken, we risk losing one of Nigeria’s most valuable ecological assets permanently.
Why the Forestry Law Must Be Reviewed
The Cross River State Forestry Law, 2010 was enacted to provide a framework for forest conservation and management. At the time, it represented an important step forward. However, the realities of 2026 are significantly different from those of 2010. For instance, climate change has intensified. Nigeria has made new national and international commitments on emissions reduction, afforestation, and forest restoration.
Forest crimes have become more organized. Enforcement challenges have grown more complex.
Meanwhile, economic opportunities linked to conservation such as ecotourism, have expanded globally.
Our legal framework must evolve to meet these new realities.
Key Recommendations of the Report
Our Policy Brief outlines comprehensive recommendations in five major areas.
1. Aligning Forest Governance with Climate Change Commitments
Forests are no longer just conservation assets—they are climate assets. The revised Forestry Law must explicitly incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. It must promote large-scale afforestation and reforestation. It must recognize the role of forests in carbon sequestration and position Cross River State to benefit from emerging global carbon financing mechanisms.
Forest conservation and management must be understood as an economic opportunity aligned with global climate goals which Cross River State can easily tap into. For instance, international climate funding in 2022 alone was estimated at approximately $1.46 trillion, mostly targeted at states and countries with forest-based solutions to the climate crisis. The Law should position Cross River State to systematically access and manage such resources.
2. Strengthening Deterrence Against Forest Crimes
Illegal logging and wildlife trafficking continue to undermine conservation efforts. Weak penalties and enforcement gaps have allowed these activities to persist. The current law allows for penalties that could act as incentives for forest crimes to continue. For instance, if a truck is seized during the commission of a forest crime, the penalty is a meagre N200,000, a sum most illegal loggers will gladly pay and continue their crime.
In accordance with need to strengthen sanctions and deterrence, we have recommended;
Stronger and more proportionate sanctions in line with the gravity of the crimes.
Improved monitoring systems
Better coordination among enforcement agencies
Without credible deterrence, forest protection efforts will remain ineffective.
3. Reforming Forest Governance Structures
Effective forest management requires strong institutions. The revised law must clarify institutional mandates, strengthen oversight mechanisms, enhance transparency in licensing processes, and improve coordination between relevant agencies. The current law is ambiguous in defining roles for difference agencies and actors in the task of conservation and forest management. Our reviews seeks to more clearly outlines the role of all actors, including expanding the forest governance ecosystem to more deliberately include communities, the academia and civil society.
4. Promoting Ecotourism as an Additional Economic Pathway for Cross River State
Cross River State holds immense potential for ecotourism. Its forests, biodiversity, and landscapes can generate revenue, create jobs, and incentivize conservation. However, declining forest cover, insecurity linked to illegal activities, and the lack of purpose and frameworks have undermined this potential.
The Forestry Law should embed ecotourism principles within forest governance, provide legal backing for conservation-based enterprises, and encourage responsible public-private partnerships. By protecting forests, we are also protecting economic opportunities for present and future generations.
5. Centering Indigenous and Forest-Dependent Communities
Perhaps the most important recommendation in this report is the meaningful inclusion of forest-dependent communities in governance. Many forest areas in Cross River State are inhabited or traditionally used by indigenous communities whose livelihoods, culture, and wellbeing are deeply tied to forest resources.
These communities must not be treated as passive recipients of policy. They must be active participants in decision-making, enforcement, monitoring, and benefit-sharing.
We recommend clear legal provisions for:
Community participation in forest governance
Co-management arrangements
Recognition of traditional knowledge systems
Community-based monitoring mechanisms
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, Cross River State stands at a decisive moment. With over 60 percent of its original forest cover already lost, the State cannot afford incremental reform. What is required is a comprehensive modernization of the Forestry Law that reflects contemporary environmental, economic, and governance realities.
Reforming the Forestry Law is not merely about protecting trees. It is about protecting biodiversity.
It is about protecting livelihoods. It is about protecting climate stability. It is about protecting the economic future of Cross River State.
This Policy Brief is not an endpoint, it is the beginning of a process. We look forward to constructive engagement, legislative action, and collaborative implementation.
The future of our forests and indeed our collective future depends on the decisions we make today.
Thank you.
We will now take questions.
