Finima Nature Park

About

Name of organisation

NIGERIA LNG LIMITED

Number of staff

30

Number of visitors per year

20,000+

Overall aims of the centre

The aim of the Park is for conservation, recreational activities and research in flora, fauna and cultural heritage of Bonny Island.

Description of the centre

The Finima Nature Park (FNP) is a freshwater swamp forest lying along Nigeria’s southern coastal area of Bonny Island, River State. FNP is divided into the Eastern and Western blocks. The Park is for conservation, recreational activities and research in flora, fauna, and cultural heritage of Bonny Island. It is approximately 1000 hectares, with a core area of about 700 hectares and buffer zone of about 300 hectares.
Banked at the south by The Atlantic Ocean, FNP is an important biosphere reserve and an eco-tourist destination. The Park is home to a wide variety of ecosystems and forms of wildlife including endangered species of African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus). The diversity of FNP is a good representation of the Niger Delta ecology, which affords a unique opportunity for research and educational activities.
The Park was established by Nigeria LNG Limited in 1999, to ensure that some of the environmental adverse effect of the people and companies’ activities on Bonny Island are curtailed, and to conserve areas of the Island in their natural state as much as possible. This is in recognition of the importance of the fauna and flora, the sacrifices of the Finima people and the Bonny people in general, and their aspiration and commitment to maintain and preserve their culture and heritage.
It is also part of NLNG's firm recognition and contribution to the national and global conservation objectives consistent with Rio Agenda 21, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the contribution toward achieving the global Aichi Biodiversity Target of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The FNP is presently being managed by a Park Management Consultant – The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF). However, the long-term management goal is to incorporate a Board of Trustees drawn from the host community into the management and governance process of the park through a participatory approach. This is a deliberate effort at ensuring that the community participates in the process and takes ownership of the park for sustainability.