Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (WNAD)

Project Code: 048-502-004	Start Date: 07-Mar-90	End Date: No End Date
Commitment: £73 000	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - TC

Project Background:
The Okomu Forest Reserve (OFR) covers 1082 square kilometres about 50 kilometres West of Benin City. It lies between the Siluko and Osse Rivers, generally containing the entire Okomu River System that flows into the Siluko on the Southwest boundary of the Reserve. The landuse of the Reserve appears to be as follows: 45 percent - Traditional and limited Taungya agricultural systems either illegally or by temporary concessions from the state forestry department 15 percent - Plantations of Oil Palm, Rubber, Teak, Gmelina and Terminalia 28 percent - Natural forest in various degrees of degradation and regeneration subject to management for timber extraction 10 percent - The inviolate NCF Wildlife Sanctuary 2 percent - Allocated to the Michelin Plantations Group (Michelin) for a rubber plantation. This land includes high forest (at least some 500 hectares), high forest cleared by Michelin (about 250 hectares) and productive and degraded farmland. Apparently a total of 15 000 hectares (ca 15 percent) has been allocated for oil palm planting, some of which has been planted already. However it is not clear yet how much of this is forest and how much is farmland. Enclave communities and associated farmland within the OFR, and communities adjacent to the boundary are said to contain about 50 000 people both indigenous and immigrant. The OFR is one of the last surviving examples of the lowland rainforest ecosystem of Southwest Nigeria which is high in biodiversity and has been judged to have rates of generation faster than similar forests East of the Niger River (Jones 1956). OFR is the last hope for the survival of the White-throated monkey (Cercopithecus erythrogaster), said to be endemic to Southwest Nigeria (Oates and Anadu 1985). Also OFR seems to be the last viable homes of the medium-sized forest tree Strombosia pustulata. The OFR was constituted in 1912 and its international importance has been recognised and enhanced by a number of scientific expeditions dating from the 1890s when the White-throated monkey was first described these include expeditions mounted by the Cambridge Botanic Society in 1937, E.W. Jones ecological studies for Cambridge University in 1955 and the University College, London, expedition in 1987. The Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary (OWS) was constituted in 1985 in the centre of OFR as 67 square kilometres and extended in 1990 to 112 square kilometres.

Project Objectives:
The aim of the project was to protect and enhance a representative sample of the unique biodiversity of the Okomu Forest in a sustainable manner, recognising the value of the Okomu Forest Reserve as a renewable natural resource and its valuable contribution to the regional ecosystem and economy of Edo State. The immediate objectives were: Protection of the Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary Limited Support Zone activities but sufficient to maintain support and confidence in the future of the Okomu Forest Project Facilitation of tourism with the specific aims of: (a) being self-supporting and income-earning (b) increasing awareness of the forest and its value to all levels of society (c) encouraging major potential donors to support the project Production of a long term strategy for the project to include indications for a wider conservation programme centred on Okomu Forest.

Intended Outputs:
Production of 1:50,000 print laydowns and 1:50,000 maps of the two forest reserves.