By Our Correspondent
Toungo, Adamawa State – April 29, 2025
Efforts to sustain conservation efforts in Nigeria’s largest national park, the Gashaka Gumti National Park, received a significant boost through a women-focused empowerment initiative spearheaded by ANI Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service and Roshan Renewables at the weekend in Toungo, a section of Adamawa State over the weekend.
Speaking at a community event in Toungo on Saturday, April 26, 2025, Dr. George Okeyoyin, ANI Foundation’s Senior Strategic Adviser, emphasised the link between sustainable livelihoods and successful conservation outcomes.
“The impact of livelihood support in effective conservation cannot be overemphasised. Communities need alternative means of income to actively support conservation efforts. That is why we are here,” Okeyoyin stated.
He further stressed the critical role of women in conservation, citing the principles of sustainable development that call for gender inclusion. A similar empowerment outreach had earlier been carried out in the southern sector of the park, located in Taraba State.
The initiative is anchored by Roshan Renewables, the programme’s implementing partner. According to the company’s CEO, Happy Amos, the women-led savings and loan groups in Toungo have collectively saved over N30 million in one year.
“We do not give out money directly. Instead, we offer zero-interest loans based on the specific needs of the women,” Amos explained. “Some only need N30,000 or N100,000 to scale their small businesses. We provide this support to enable their growth.”
Beneficiaries of the programme commended the foundation for positively impacting their lives and the broader community.
Grace Emmanuel, one of the participants, said, “I don’t worry about how to feed my children or pay school fees anymore. Thanks to the support from ANI Foundation, I’m able to get loans, produce, and sell my goods both locally and beyond.”
Similarly, Florence Dauda shared that women in Toungo now enjoy the same benefits that were once limited to the Gashaka sector. “We used to envy the women there because of the things we heard. But now, we are involved, and you can see the variety of products we’ve been able to produce through the savings and loan initiative,” she said.
The programme highlights how empowering rural women with financial tools can contribute not only to economic development but also to the long-term preservation of Nigeria’s natural heritage.
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