The federal government has upgraded two forest reserves in Bayelsa State to national parks to safeguard endangered species following a process that began in 2011.
Dr Ibrahim Musa Goni, Conservator-General of the National Parks Service, announced the upgrade during a visit to Governor Douye Diri at the Government House in Yenagoa on Monday.
The two reserves now designated as national parks are the Apoi Forest in Southern Ijaw LGA and the Edumenum Forest spanning Ogbia and Nembe LGAs.
Dr Goni expressed gratitude to all who contributed to the achievement, including former President Goodluck Jonathan who reclassified the National Parks Service as a paramilitary organisation.
He said the federal government had allocated an initial grant of N5m to support the establishment of the new parks, adding that the parks would create 100 jobs for Bayelsans.
Governor Diri welcomed the upgrade, emphasising the importance of environmental preservation.
He pledged his administration’s support for initiatives aimed at restoring and maintaining the environment, noting that the upgrade of the reserves reflected the federal government’s commitment to addressing environmental concerns in Bayelsa.
Governor Diri also highlighted the unique challenges faced by Bayelsa due to its riverine nature and indicated that boats would be acquired to facilitate the parks’ operations.
