OGBA FOREST & TOURISM IN BENIN-CITY BY ANDY EHANIRE

[toyin adepoju]

                                                  OGBA FOREST AND TOURISM IN BENIN-CITY 

                                                                             BY 

                                                                    ANDY EHANIRE

 

Hello Toyin, pardon my delay in replying you. This is partly because I underestimated the pressure of my itinery while I was on a local trip here in Nigeria; but the real delay was from the feeling of being daunted whenever I contemplated the wide information needed to be generate in response to your passionate inquiries about the state of conservation of the biodiversity and cultural resources in Benin. Permit me to take them in three clear areas.

 

OGBA FORESTS. Of the initial estimated 53 Sq. kilometers of the Ogba forest reserve, what is now left is about 1 squre km, which is within the Ogba Zoo. Massive depletion of this forest reserve took place because of its proximity to Benin, where hunger for urban land, illegal farming and hardwood are the vogue. Even the Ogba Zoo had nearly two sq km of urban forest, but it is now under severe threats from local communities and other land grabbers, as well as poachers. The Ogba Zoo management, which I head, has spent more than 7 years trying to deal with massive encroachment on the Zoo land, which started under the guise of Govt dereservation of outlying forest reserves., but I see the Conrade Governor putting an end to this charade soon.  

However, the Zoo still offers some elements of the pristine nature of our forests and continues to retain its status as a botanical garden and arboretum. This last vestige of the Ogba forest reserve is a veritabe gene bank since it is one of the very few places this Guinea Lowland Rain Forest has been presrved, especially this being in an urban setting. Students fron with Edo State and beyond regularly visit on excursion; including students of Uniben Forestry and Wildlife Department who use the Zoo for fieldwork. The nearby Federal Forestry Department used to conserve an equally large expanse of rare urban forest, which is probably where you visited more, but even this is largely degraded. Of course Benin City has grown papidly far beyond Ugbiyoko village.

 

SACRED GROVES. I an happy to report that this tradition still persist in Benin and environs;  it is shared by most communities up to Ikwerre land in Rivers State, as far as I know.

 

THE MUSEUM is still in the city center. It is more easily accessed by motor vehicle, but can do with an acces by sub-way, in view of its location within concentric traffic lanes - except that some private structures would have to give way for such construction. There are many intersting private galleries and collectors of artifacts that are more than a match for the museum.  You have the Chief Priest Osemwingie Ebohon Center located off Sapele / Dumez road, the Idubor Art Gallery, amongst others. Other interesting sites include the Igun Street Bronze Guild, the Sir Victor Uwaifo Revelation Center, the historic Chief Ogieamien Palace, etc. The famous Benin Moats are also of importance but there is little political will to preserve it, not to talk of the massive restoration work required to make it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Benin has potentials for real tourism development but with low institutional support, the industry is still fledgeling. Apart from the poor state of the physical enviroment / infrastructure, inadequate security, dearth of public utilities, low public awareness for keying into opportunities, etc, there is also the dearth of competent tour guides to make it a real tourism friendly destination. I am currently the National Vice President for South-South Zone in the Tourism Federation (FTAN), which is the apex Private Sector tourism body in Nigeria, so I can tell you that there is very weak interface between the Real Sector and the Tourism Administrators. The idea of building synergy through PPP is still teething and as a result you could use all your energy trying to get very little done. We are praying for a time when Government Tourism Budgets would impact the indusrtry positively, especially in conservation shemes and capacity building. Its a major challenge considering that Edo State should actually be giving tourism leadership to the Zone, if not to Nigeria as a whole.

Bye for now.

Andy O. Ehanire   

 

  

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