C’River State Govt committed to partner with FCLP to Strengthen Forest Rights Ahead of COP-30
By Christiana Ushang | August 23, 2025
The Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP) has pledged to partner with the Cross River State Government to strengthen forest tenure rights as part of Nigeria’s commitment to the COP-30 summit scheduled for November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.
The pledge was sealed during a two-day stakeholders’ meeting in Calabar, which brought together representatives from government agencies, traditional rulers, NGOs, academia, and local communities to deliberate on land tenure, forest management, and sustainable livelihoods.
Director of the Federal Department of Forestry and National Coordinator/Focal Person for REDD+, Dr. Moses Ama, said the initiative aims to empower local communities by helping them understand and use their land rights to improve livelihoods and economic opportunities. He noted that a Cross River State Roadmap will be developed to guide a five-year work plan that can attract funding.
FCLP’s U.S.-based consultant, Mr. Malcom Childress, welcomed the outcomes of the meeting, saying past obstacles such as weak coordination and misaligned policies had hindered progress. He stressed that consensus has now been reached to prioritize community-led initiatives to protect forest rights and enhance conservation.
On the legal front, the Cross River State House Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Forestry, through its secretary, Dr. Maurice Olory, highlighted that the state’s forestry laws are obsolete and require urgent review. He emphasized the need to educate communities on existing legal frameworks to ensure compliance.
The Chairman of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, Rt. Hon. George Oben-Etchi, represented by Permanent Secretary Mrs. Bassey Onoyom Bassey, explained that although the Land Use Act of 1978 vests land ownership in government, forest communities are always consulted and compensated before reserves or other projects are established.
A conceptual roadmap for tenure reform was also discussed. The plan prioritizes identification of tenure reform targets, mapping out critical areas, setting timeframes for reforms, and linking reforms to community development, new market practices, carbon initiatives, and ecotourism.
In her closing remarks, FCLP Policy Lead, Ms. Lydia Birtwistle Sawyer, assured stakeholders that the partnership is not intended to exploit the state’s forest resources but to attract funding and partnerships that will improve forest management and community livelihoods over the next five years.
