Environment

National Park Service charges obsolete-CG

Published

6 years ago

May 15, 2019

National Park Service charges obsolete-CG

Agency Report

The Conservator-General, National Park Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Goni, has stressed the need for rates charged by the service to be reviewed in line with the current realities in the country.

Goni made this known at the inauguration of a 10-men committee for the review of the National Park Service Tariff on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said “Regrettably, many of the rates charged for services rendered to the public in our National Parks do not reflect the current realities as most of our tariffs have become obsolete.

“It is imperative, therefore, to update these tariffs and identify new revenue bases for the service to contribute meaningfully to government’s efforts, hence the need for the constitution of this committee’’.

He said the committee is expected to take advantage of Information Communications Technology (ICT) to promote ease of doing business at in the national parks.“Take a cursory look at the following revenue sub-heads for possible review.

“Tenders fees, Earnings from guests house, Earnings from the use of Government vehicles, Earnings from Tourism/Culture/Arts/Centre/Park Entry fees, proceeds from Sales of Government Vehicles, Proceeds from Sales of Goods by Public Auctions.

“Rents on Government Properties, Earnings from Hire of Plants and Equipment and Earnings from the use of Government Hall amongst others.

“Your work should include a comprehensive appraisal of the various revenue generating activities, taking into consideration where we are coming from and where we want to be by developing a vision and setting attainable targets for all National Parks’’.

Goni said that with the dwindling fortunes from oil, government is now looking inwards for ways of cost reduction and how to revive the hitherto neglected sectors in a bid to diversify the economy.

“The Federal Government also considered it necessary to introduce policies to block revenue leakages.

“These policies include the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Remita e-collection gateway and also the introduction of Executive Order No.1 to ease doing business in Nigeria.

“All these are geared towards raising the revenue profile of the country and ensuring that revenues generated are properly harnessed and utilised for the development of our dear nation.

He however, revealed that the National Park Service has already started to introduce measures aimed at plugging leakages at its revenue points by adopting Information Communication Technology (ICT).

“We plan to deploy Point of Sale (PoS) machines to the various parks and revenue centres to ease revenue collection and accounting.”

The C-G however gave the committee up to August 15,to submit its report.

Alhaji Yakubu Kolo, the Assistant Conservator-General, Ecotourism and Chairman of the committee stressed the need for more funding for the operations of the Service.

He also called on the management of the park to introduce children’s playground at the park headquarters as a way of generating more revenue.

He, however, pledged full commitment of the committee members to accomplishing the task ahead of the committee.

“I want to assure you that all the members will work together to ensure that this tariff that is going to be reviewed will be to the benefit of the service and Nigeria at large.

“This is very key because we have to look inwards and ensure that all areas are covered and we will also look at the leakages and ways of blocking them,’’

Kolo said.Mr Martins Omole, the Conservator of Park, Finance and Budget, had earlier urged the committee to ensure that the objective of the inauguration is fully achieved.

“The committee comprised technocrats: so we believe that the committee will come up with a unified tariff.“That means that moving the revenue generation of the parks forward is in your hands,’’ Omole said.

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Environment

Royal Commonwealth Society Kicks Off Clean Oceans Campaign in Nigeria

Published

4 months ago

July 8, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Commonwealth Games Nigeria, has officially launched the Clean Oceans Plastic Awareness Campaign in Nigeria, aiming to combat the growing threat of plastic pollution across the Commonwealth.

The campaign was flagged off on Wednesday at Jabi Lake, Abuja, with a strong message of environmental responsibility, especially for Nigeria’s youth.

The initiative is designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution, encourage proper waste disposal, and promote environmental stewardship—particularly around the country’s waterways.
Speaking at the launch, the Country Director and CEO of the Royal Commonwealth Society Nigeria, Mr. Blackson Olaseni Bayewumi, emphasized that the campaign is part of a global Commonwealth-wide effort to curb plastic waste and protect ocean ecosystems.

He highlighted the critical role of sports as a tool for engaging young people and driving meaningful change in environmental behavior.

“The Commonwealth accounts for one-third of the world’s ocean waters, and nearly half of its member countries are Small Island Developing States that suffer disproportionately from plastic pollution,” Bayewumi noted.

According to him, the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign aims to prevent at least one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways.

The campaign blends grassroots education with direct community action, urging people to reduce their plastic footprint, embrace alternatives, and promote cleaner oceans.

A major component of the campaign is its integration with the King’s Baton Relay—a hallmark of the build-up to the Commonwealth Games. In a groundbreaking move, the 2025-2026 relay will spotlight sustainability and environmental protection, beginning with its launch by His Majesty The King at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day 2025. The Baton Relay is now on a 500-day journey across all Commonwealth nations and territories ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

In each country, including Nigeria, the Baton Relay will bring together youth, athletes, local communities, and environmental groups for a week of activities—most notably, organized plastic clean-up drives.

The urgency of this campaign is underlined by alarming statistics: the world produces 400 million tonnes of plastic every year, with over 12 million tonnes ending up in the oceans.
Without urgent action, scientists predict that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea.

Plastic waste poses a deadly threat to marine life—suffocating birds, fish, and mammals while damaging key ecosystems.

Moreover, as plastics break down into microplastics due to ocean erosion and sunlight, they enter our food, water, and even air.

Although the full health implications of microplastics remain unknown, early research suggests they may disrupt vital bodily functions—and there is currently no method to fully remove them from the environment or our bodies.
The campaign supports multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

SDG 12: Responsible, Consumption and ProductionSDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water

It also reflects the core principles of the Commonwealth Charter, especially: Article 9: Sustainable Development. Article 10: Protection of the Environment and Article 14: Recognition of the Needs of Small States

As the world grapples with escalating environmental challenges, the Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign represents a significant step in uniting nations, communities, and young leaders under a shared mission: to protect our oceans, preserve biodiversity, and build a cleaner, safer world for future generations.

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