SEO Riders:
– Empowering rangers to save Taylor Creek Forest
– Linking biodiversity conservation with local livelihoods in Bayelsa
– How tree-planting & green jobs support environmental resilience
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), in partnership with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd. and the Bayelsa State Government, has trained 46 community forest rangers to protect the fragile Taylor Creek Forest. The initiative spans 23 forest-dependent communities across the clans of Okordia, Zarama, Biseni, and Tarakiri in Yenagoa and Sagbama LGAs. The rangers were equipped with skills in forest governance, patrols, sustainable forest management, and tree nursery establishment, and they’ve planted over 16,500 indigenous tree seedlings across Taylor Creek communities.
Beyond forest protection, the programme also supports livelihoods: more than 150 beneficiaries have been empowered through small-scale enterprises like beekeeping, aquaculture, animal rearing, and cassava cultivation. Starter packs—such as collapsible fish ponds, fingerlings, goats, and improved cassava cuttings—have been distributed to reduce community reliance on environmentally harmful practices. Bayelsa’s Governor, Douye Diri, described the project as a turning point in resource management, stating that it builds responsibility, resilience, and a shared future for local communities.