Nigeria can make fortune from ecotourism annually –Onoja

Director, Technical Programmes, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Dr. Joseph Onoja has said that Nigeria like some other African countries can make a fortune from ecotourism annually.

Onoja who spoke during a zoom meeting organised by the NCF at the weekend to commemorate the World Migratory Bird Day 2020 themed ‘Birds Connect Our World’, said birds actually connect us according to the theme.

He emphasised that Nigeria is yet to harness her ecotourism potentialities like other countries who make several millions of dollars from the industry.

“There are some countries like Uganda, Kenya and South Africa who are making so much money from ecotourism. In Nigeria we have not been able to harness the ecotourism possibilities that we have. We have not really developed our ecotourism potentials probably because of our major income which is oil,” he lamented.

According to Onoja, “Nigeria is over depending on oil while ecotourism can also serve as a way of employment. We have ecotourism companies that could employ more people and improve our local economy.

“This is because tourists will have to lodge in hotels, people doing bird watching would buy local handcrafts and people would be empowered as well and become happy. Birds can provide these opportunities,” he said.

The Director, Technical Programmes, NCF, also enlightened participants along the roles of the migrating birds. “While migrating, they help to control pests as the place they gather also provide their breeding ground, they are able to connect us as well,” he said.

Speaking further, Onoja said no country owns the birds because they are free to migrate without hindrance. “No nation owns the birds, we all own them together. They spend some parts of their lives with us in the global south and they spend some part in the global north and that is why they are able to connect us because they perform same service in the both part of the world.

“The theme of the 2020 WMBD is that Birds Connect Our World. Indeed they do connect our world. The role they play in the ecosystem in the sub-Saharan Africa is the same role they play in the arctic region in the northern part of the world where they normally go to breed because every year birds migrate depending on the season from the global north to the global south,” he enlightened.

He also said usually the global north starts experiencing winter from October through to February and the birds will have to migrate to the global south where it is always almost warm.

“While they are there, it is their habit to breed, they also help in pest control and they help in ecotourism as well. They build the local economy in any environment they find themselves,” he said.

On why people need to engage in bird watching, Onoja said, “Bird watching is a great way to connect with nature and it helps to keep in touch with awe and mystery of the natural world.” He also said it is a good way to exercise and feel good.

According to him, across the world, bird watchers are the largest group of ecotourists and through bird watching, humans can keep track of changing seasons.

He however gave a list of useful kits for effective bird watching activity. On his list were a hat, a fez cap, a pair of binoculars, a camera, a pair of boots, and most importantly a pencil and a notebook.