GREAT APES, ECOTOURISM IN CROSS RIVER, NIGERIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001138 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ECON EAID NI CM SUBJECT: GREAT APES, ECOTOURISM IN CROSS RIVER, NIGERIA REF: LIBREVILLE 150 ¶1. Summary. Economic officer and regional environmental officer visited Cross River State, on Nigeria's eastern border with Cameroon, on Feb. 13-17 to see its economic infrastructure and potential for ecotourism. Cross River contains Nigeria's last remaining rain forest, as well as the rare Cross River gorilla and other endangered primates. These are threatened by encroachment and illegal timber cutting. Governor Duke proposed habituating gorillas to humans' presence to boost ecotourism, which concerns environmental NGOs. South Africa's Protea chain is managing successfully the highlands Obudu Cattle Ranch hotel. The tourism sector in Nigeria and Cross River State faces significant challenges, including deficient infrastructure and poorly educated employees. Almost uniquely in Nigeria, Cross River State has a significant, state-wide potential for tourism. End summary. ¶2. Economic officer and regional environmental officer (REO) visited Cross River State, on Nigeria's eastern border with Cameroon, on Feb. 13-17 to see its economic infrastructure and potential for ecotourism. Officers had a wide range of meetings with local figures, including Cross River Governor Donald Duke, state officials, and non-government organization (NGO) environmentalists. Cross River Gorillas Are Rare, Reclusive, Endangered -------------- -------------- ¶3. Cross River State contains Nigeria's last remaining rain forest, as well as a share of the extremely rare Cross River gorilla. There might be only 70 to 100 of these great apes in Nigeria and 200 in Cameroon, making this subspecies rarer than Africa's mountain gorillas. The Cross River gorillas move between the two countries and required protected habitat and corridors for their continued survival. There are four groups of gorillas in Nigeria, with 20-30 individuals each; some groups live largely in isolation and some are separated by a busy road. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) works with unprotected forest areas lying within community lands between reserve areas, to permit the gorillas' transit. While these great apes rarely are observed, local residents reportedly killed three of them between the fall of 2005 and February 2006 for allegedly raiding crops after severe storms killed the mainstay vegetation species that apes depend on for food. Nigeria's and Cameroon's parks and conservation personnel carry out no substantial joint operations to protect rare gorilla populations. Tensions between tourism, development, the environment -------------- -------------- ¶4. A major challenge for Cross River is the fact that the Cross River National Park occupies about one third of the state's land area. This argues strongly for Cross River's developing tourism. Cross River environmentalists spoke approvingly of Governor Duke and his emphasis on economic growth. Some of them, though, were concerned that development would come at the expense of the state's rich wildlife. Cross River is home to the mandrill (drill),a species of large primate that also is threatened. NGOs in the state have founded several conservation projects focusing on primate research, especially the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, managed by the Pandrillus Foundation. Pandrillus's Afi Mountain Drill Ranch is reportedly the world's most successful breeding program for an endangered primate and is home to drill monkeys and chimpanzees. The Drill Ranch also includes a recently completed rain-forest canopy walkway. Built by a Canadian company, it is 390 meters (almost 1,300 feet) long and the largest such walkway in Africa. ¶5. One Cross River environmentalist warned of extensive illegal timber cutting, fueled by bribery, by a company owned by a Chinese-born businessman. REO cautioned Governor Duke on March 17 that Cross River had perhaps 20 years in which to create the framework to protect its rich environmental resources. After that, because of pressures especially from illegal logging, the rain forest would be fragmented irretrievably and its rare species likely beyond recovery. Duke replied that he would work to strengthen the applicable state and federal legislation to prevent this destruction. Duke commented that his countrymen did not consider the Cross River gorilla a "national treasure" and said he would work to change this. The WCS reported in May, however, that Duke had proposed attempting to habituate gorillas at Afi to humans' presence, to boost ecotourism. A WCS official termed Cross River NGOs and Duke "deeply divided" over the wisdom of this course. South African chain succeeds with Obudu Hotel -------------- ¶6. While the quality of most hotels in Nigeria is far below Western levels, a notable exception is the Hotel Obudu Ranch, managed by South Africa's Protea Hotels and Inns group and better known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch. The ranch is located at the base of the Sankwala Mountains, in the state's far north, and overlooks the Cameroon border. Founded in 1949 by Scottish ranchers, the hotel's site is free of malaria and tsetse fly and is served by a small airport 55 km (34 miles) away -- unusual in this country of relatively poor air connections. The Obudu complex boasts a water park and a long, European-built cable car leading to the hotel's 5,200-foot altitude. Governor Duke said proudly of the Obudu Ranch, "Everything you have seen is our own money, our own resources." (Comment: While some Cross River sources asserted Duke spent too much to develop the Obudu complex, Cross River now has something tangible to show for this outlay -- unlike many publicly funded projects in Nigeria. End comment.) Cross River State's potential for tourism -------------- ¶7. Roads in Cross River State are spotty, mainly two-lane roads with large stretches of deficient road surface. In the northern part of the state, some main roads were overgrown by vegetation. The dirt road to Butatong, home of the Okwangwo headquarters of Cross River National Park's northern department, was so bad as to be arguably impassable. Facilities and personnel at the park headquarters both were scarce, and the park offered no information facilities to visitors -- who were not in evidence in any case. Governor Duke seemed receptive to REO's suggestion to build a visitors center, and Duke pledged to drive to Butatong to see the road conditions for himself. Comment -------------- ¶8. Tourism in Nigeria and Cross River State faces significant challenges, including poor infrastructure; employees' poor education and poor training; and high prices for mediocre goods and services. Nigerians' attitude toward customer service is a challenge for tourism. Only in 2005 was published the first travel guide dedicated exclusively to Nigeria, with its colorful history, large land area, and population of about 130 million people -- and this book has only 213 pages on actual sights and attractions in the country. Almost uniquely in Nigeria, Cross River State has significant potential for domestic and foreign tourism across the state. Protea's Obudu Cattle Ranch demonstrates this potential, and Protea-managed hotels across Nigeria enjoy a high reputation, demonstrating the benefit that outside expertise can provide. CAMPBELL