The challenges of neoliberal strategies in the management of tropical rainforests in Cross River State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Poststructural geography, Neoliberal Forest Management, Multiple environmentalities, Tropical rainforests, Self-governing technologiesAbstract
Neoliberalism is an economic philosophy that favors free markets, reduced government control, privatization, and policies that support private sector growth and globalization. The adoption of REDD+, in contrast to the highly publicized but conflicting, government-championed strict forest management strategies, has continued for decades in Cross River State. However, the management of tropical rainforests in Cross River State, Nigeria, has increasingly been shaped by neoliberal policies prioritizing market-driven solutions such as ecotourism and carbon trading. While these approaches promise economic growth and environmental conservation, they have faced significant challenges in practice. This article explores the limitations of neoliberal forest management in the region, focusing on issues such as the exclusion of local communities, the degradation of ecosystems, and weak governance structures. Despite the intentions of neoliberal strategies, these policies have often overlooked local knowledge and failed to address the root causes of deforestation, such as illegal logging and unsustainable land use. The article argues for a more inclusive, community-centered approach to forest management that recognizes Indigenous rights, incorporates traditional ecological knowledge, and strengthens regulatory frameworks to ensure the long-term sustainability of Cross River State’s tropical rainforests.Downloads
References
1. Aguilar E. (2020). Local Participation in Forest Conservation: A Study of Indigenous Rights in Cross River State. Environmental Management Review, 35(2), 140-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2018.12.008
2. Ajonina G., Usongo L., & Tchassem F. (2010). Community-Based Forest Management and REDD+ in Cross River State, Nigeria. UN-REDD Programme Nigeria
3. Akinlo A. (2019). Governance and Forest Management in Nigeria: The Case of Cross River State. Journal of African Governance, 28(3), 182-200
4. Akintoye O.A., Ogre G.O., Omoogun R., Dada O.A., Ubong H., Ukata S.U., Nkpena C.O., Onuoha E., Awan O.E., Ajila T.O., Ekwok I.C., Ekei E., & Akintoye T.A. (2024). Assessment of Agricultural Practices and Flora Diversity in Tropical Rainforests of Cross River State, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Environmental Studies (GOJGES), 4(1), 24-41
5. Akintoye O.A., Bisong F.E., Utang P., & Andrew-Essien E. (2013). Impact of Logging on Non-Logged Species in the Moist Forest Region of South Eastern Nigeria. Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 3(3), 4123-4135
6. Akintoye O.A., Bisong F.E., Utang P.B., & Andrew-Essien E. (2013). Impact of Logging on Non-Logged Species in the Moist Forest Region of South Eastern Nigeria. Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 3(3), 65-70
7. Akpan U. & Udoh I. (2018). Bureaucratic Inefficiencies and the Failure of Conservation Policies in Nigeria. Environmental Policy Journal, 12(2), 45-63
8. Angelsen A., Brockhaus M., Sunderlin W.D., & Verchot L.V. (2012). Analyzing REDD+: Challenges and Choices. CIFOR
9. Aruofor R. (2017). Timber Trade and the Crisis of Deforestation in Cross River State. Nigerian Forestry Review, 15(4), 89-103
10. Asiyanbi P., Ogar E., & Akintoye O.A. (2019). Complexities and Surprises in Local Resistance to Neoliberal Conservation: Multiple Environmentalities, Technologies of the Self and the Poststructural Geography of Local. Political Geography, 69, 128-138
11. Barr C., Resosudarmo I.A.P., Dermawan A., McCarthy J., & Moeliono M. (2006). Decentralization of Forest Administration in Indonesia: Implications for Forest Sustainability, Economic Development and Community Livelihoods. CIFOR
12. Bumpus A.G. & Liverman D.M. (2008). Accumulation by Decarbonization and the Governance of Carbon Offsets. Economic Geography, 84(2), 127-155
13. Corbera E. (2012). Problematizing REDD+ as an Experiment in Payments for Ecosystem Services. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 4(6), 612-619
14. Corbera E., Gonzalez R., & Brown K. (2011). The Equity and Legitimacy of Markets for Ecosystem Services in the Global South. Development and Change, 42(2), 403-413
15. Ewah G., Enoh P., & Edem I. (2019). Ecotourism and Deforestation: Examining the Contradictions in Cross River State. African Journal of Environmental Studies, 24(1), 56-72
16. Fadairo O. (2020). The Cross River Superhighway: Environmental Disaster or Economic Progress? Nigerian Journal of Sustainable Development, 10(3), 33-48
17. Fairhead J., Leach M., & Scoones I. (2012). Green Grabbing: A New Appropriation of Nature? Routledge
18. Fairhead J., Leach M., & Scoones I. (2012). Green Grabbing: A New Appropriation of Nature? The Journal of Peasant Studies, 39(2), 237-261
19. Hoberg G. (2013). Regulating Forestry: Lessons from British Columbia. Forest Policy and Economics, 27, 11-19
20. Ikeme F. & Eze R. (2021). Conservation Conflicts: Understanding the Resistance to REDD+ Implementation in Nigeria. Conservation Perspectives, 14(2), 67-82
21. Klein L. (2019). Carbon Trading and Land Use Conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study of Cross River State. Global Environmental Politics, 19(4), 50-70
22. Lindenmayer D.B., Hunter M.L., Burton P.J., & Gibbons P. (2012). Forest Pattern and Ecological Process: A Synthesis of 25 Years of Research. Cambridge University Press
23. McAfee K. (2012). Selling Nature to Save It? The Contradictions of Green Neoliberalism. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 100(3), 512-529
24. McAfee K. (2012). The Contradictory Logic of Global Ecosystem Services Markets. Development and Change, 43(1), 105-131
25. Mfon P., Akintoye O.A., Mfon G., Olorundami T., Ukata S.U., & Akintoye T.A. (2014). Challenges of Deforestation in Nigeria and the Millennium Development Goals. International Journal of Environment and Bioenergy, 9(2), 76-94
26. Milledge S., Hough J., & Adams W. (2007). Ecotourism and Conservation: A Review of Challenges in Rainforest Management. Biodiversity and Conservation, 16(5), 1065-1084
27. Myers N., Mittermeier R.A., Mittermeier C.G., da Fonseca G.A., & Kent J. (2000). Biodiversity Hotspots for Conservation Priorities. Nature, 403(6772), 853-858
28. Nicholas A., Dunn A., Imong I., & Oates J.F. (2011). Regional Action Plan for the Conservation of the Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli). IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group
29. Nigerian National Parks Service. (2021). Cross River National Park Management Plan
30. Oates J.F., Bergl R.A., & Linder J.M. (2004). Africa’s Gulf of Guinea Forests: Biodiversity Patterns and Conservation Priorities. Conservation International
31. Oyebo M., Bisong F., & Morakinyo T. (2010). A Preliminary Assessment of REDD+ in Nigeria. Nigerian Forestry Commission Report
32. Pacheco P. (2012). Soybean and Oil Palm Expansion in South America: A Growing Threat for Forests. Global Environmental Change, 22(3), 423-432
33. Philip Mfon, Akintoye O.A., Olorundami T., Ojong C.N., Ukata S.U., & Harrison E.U. (2014). Forest Resources of Cross River State: Their Potentials, Threats and Mitigation Measures. Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology, 8(6), Ver. III
34. Putz F., Redford K., & Owen M. (2012). Tropical Forest Conservation and the Role of Indigenous Knowledge. Conservation Science Journal, 29(4), 503-52
35. Resosudarmo I.A.P., Brockhaus M., & Ekadinata A. (2014). Governing Forests and Land-Use Change in a Decentralized World. World Development, 64, 70-81
36. Ubi A. & Adie E. (2021). Financial Corruption in Environmental Programs: Lessons from the Nigerian REDD+ Experience. Global Environmental Policy Journal, 7(1), 112-127
37. Ukata S.U., Akintoye O.A., Ekeh J.E., & Ogar A.M. (2013). An Appraisal of Primate Conservation Programme by Pandrillus (NGO) in Afi Mountain Sanctuary, Buanchor, Boki LGA, Cross River State, Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Environmental Studies Research, 1(3), 77-82
38. Utang P.B., Andrew-Essien E.E., Akintoye O.A., & Upla I.J. (2008). Assessing the Temporal and Spatial Variability in Stream Flow in Aya River System of the Cross River Basin, Nigeria. Global Journal of Environmental Sciences, 7(1&2), 13-18
39. Utang P.B., Akintoye O.A., & Enyogu E.B. (2007). Watersheds Geomorphometrics in Relation to the Flow Regime in Aya River System of the Cross River Basin, Nigeria. Global Journal of Environmental Sciences, 4(2), 129-134
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
