Located in Nigeria's Cross River State, the Ekuri community manages a 33,600-hectare community forest adjacent to the Cross-River National Park. Community forest management began in the 1980s, when the villages of Old Ekuri and New Ekuri united in response to the proposed logging of their forest. The project would have included the construction of a road linking the villages to local market centres; instead, the community decided to sustainably manage the forest as a community asset, generating income, subsistence materials and food.

Levies on the sale of non-timber forest products by community members financed a road that eventually reached Old Ekuri in 1990 and New Ekuri in 1997. In addition to allowing farm and forest products to reach new markets, the road has also made possible the transport of construction materials for two schools, a health center, and a civic center where the community meets to discuss forest governance decisions.

 

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2004

Founded: 1997

Location: Cross River State, eastern Nigeria

Beneficiaries: 6,000 community residents

Biodiversity: Cross River National Park

 

Case Study

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find other Winners' Case Studies in our E-Library