FRIN provides 5,000 seedlings to restore Oba Hills park

The Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria has provided 5,000 indigenous tree seedlings to restore degraded habitats in the Oba Hills National Park, Osun State.

The seedlings, comprising Parkia biglobosa, Adansonia digitata, Terminalia superba, Ceiba pentandra and Khaya senegalensis, are part of the first phase of a multi-stakeholder restoration programme involving 11,000 indigenous seedlings.

The restoration initiative was formally inaugurated on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Oba Hills National Park.

It aims to address vegetation loss, habitat disturbance, farming pressure, and other human activities affecting the park.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, represented by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of FRIN, Prof Zacharia Yaduma, said ecological restoration required more than planting trees, stressing the need to restore the functions and resilience of degraded ecosystems through the use of indigenous species, natural regeneration and long-term habitat management.

“Sustained collaboration, shared expertise and pooled resources are essential to achieving our collective goal of making our climate and environment a better place to live,” the minister said.

He also called for greater cooperation between communities living around national parks and park authorities to protect biodiversity and preserve the environment for future generations.

The Acting Conservator of Parks, Oba Hills National Park, O. K. Azeez, said the park had experienced considerable degradation and habitat disturbance.

Azeez stressed the importance of partnerships, scientific approaches and community participation in achieving sustainable restoration of the park.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Mr Adedayo Mumudu said the initiative aligned with the foundation’s focus on biodiversity restoration, environmental resilience, climate resilience and institutional partnerships.

He said the foundation had moved beyond simply planting trees to ensuring that the seedlings survived and were nurtured for future generations.

Under the first phase of the programme, FRIN contributed 5,000 seedlings, while the Nigerian Conservation Foundation facilitated 5,000 additional seedlings from IHS Towers and 1,000 from Polaris Bank. The NCF also provided logistics support for the exercise.

The programme is expected to restore wildlife habitats, improve biodiversity, protect soil and water resources, increase carbon sequestration and strengthen the park’s resilience to climate and environmental pressures.

Community participation is also a major component of the restoration programme.

Through collaboration with the Oba Hills Farmers Association, the National Park Service is working on arrangements to enable farmers to sustain their livelihoods while restoration continues in priority areas.

The approach is expected to reduce pressure on the park, encourage community ownership of conservation efforts and promote a balance between environmental protection and local livelihoods.

The event featured a symbolic tree-planting exercise by stakeholders to mark the commencement of the restoration programme.

Recognition awards were also presented to Yaduma, the Director-General of the NCF, Dr Joseph Onoja, and the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Dr Ibrahim Goni, for their contributions to conservation and environmental restoration.

The initiative involves the National Park Service, FRIN, NCF, IHS Towers, Polaris Bank, the Osun State Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Oba Hills Farmers Association and other stakeholders.

The organisers said emphasis would be placed on the survival and growth of the seedlings, natural regeneration, habitat recovery and biodiversity response, while continued protection, maintenance and scientific monitoring would form part of the restoration process.