In south-eastern Nigeria there is a nature reserve that is home to rare and endangered species. It is called the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and among its vegetation one can find the Cross River gorilla, one of the rarest primates in the world, as well as chimpanzees and numerous other animal species. In recent years, however, illegal logging, hunting and river pollution have put the conservation of this biodiversity at risk. And so a group of women from the village of Ulum founded an environmental protection association in 2023 which, through various initiatives, is achieving significant successes in the preservation of the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. So much so that similar initiatives are now emerging in other villages.

The Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary

The Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Cross River State, in south-eastern Nigeria. It extends over more than 100 km², characterised by plains, submontane areas and peaks reaching 1,300 metres in altitude. It is home to endangered animal species such as the Cross River gorilla, considered critically endangered, the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, the drill and the grey-necked rockfowl. The area is also frequented by migratory European barn swallows, which at certain times of year number as many as 20 million individuals.

The Sanctuary was established in 2000 precisely to offer protection to this highly fragile wildlife. Today, oversight is entrusted to the Cross River State Forestry Commission in concert with the Ministry of Climate Change and Forests. But despite these efforts, illegal activities have continued in recent years to jeopardise such a precious habitat.

In the protected area, illegal hunting is practised, unauthorised plantations of banana and cacao can be encountered, and deliberate fires are set both to clear new agricultural land and to flush out wildlife. On top of all this comes illegal logging, which goes hand in hand with regulated logging, given that the authorities have struck several agreements with timber traders. And finally, there is also a problem of river pollution caused by the illegal activities that plague the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary.

Female activism

There are sixteen villages within the area of the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, with a total population of around 27,000 people. For some time these communities have been engaged in initiatives and strategic partnerships to hinder illegal environmental practices and to protect the biodiversity that surrounds them. And among the most important forces in this regard is the Ulom Women's Conservation Collective.

Founded in 2023 on the initiative of Ofre Mary, aged 42, it is a group of women who first came together to counter illegal fishing in the Sanctuary's rivers and who over the past three years have become a point of reference for environmental protection and the fight against illegal practices carried out exclusively by men.

WCS Nigeria 💚 @WCS_Nigeria

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📸 Look who stopped by our camera trap at Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary 🐵🌿💚🐒🌍

🌱 With support from @EUinNigeria, WCS helps protect Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees at 4 sites-
Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Mbe Mountains,
Cross River National Park 🌲

#Biodiversity

♥ 20 15 Sep 2025 · Open on X →

The collective meets twice a month to develop action strategies and also carries out patrol activities, in collaboration with the authorities, both to track down those responsible for possible violations and to act as a deterrent. Akan Grace, for example, lost her family farm several years ago to a wildfire caused by human negligence. This brought her into the world of activism and today she is the public relations officer of the Ulom group.

As highlighted by the media outlet Mongabay, which visited the village of Ulom, in 2024 the women put pressure on local authorities to block a timber deal that would have exposed the Sanctuary to harmful logging practices. The local population was mobilised with roadblocks and acts of sabotage, echoing what had been done in 2021, when another mobilisation of the village's women — not yet organised into a collective — had succeeded in blocking another timber deal.

A model to emulate

The work of the Ulom Women's Conservation Collective is also built on awareness-raising. Initiatives and debates are organised in the homes and streets of the village to shine a spotlight on the importance of preserving the Sanctuary's habitat. And word of mouth, along with the success of their campaigns, has meant that similar initiatives have sprung up in surrounding villages as well.

In the villages of Buanchor and Katabang, groups have emerged that, as Mongabay notes, "have replicated, if not outright surpassed, the success of Ulom." This has happened in part because the collectives have communicated with one another from the very beginning, with visits to the village of Ulom to understand the strengths of female environmental activism and the best ways to replicate the experience. As a result, the women of Buanchor managed in 2024 to block a timber deal that had been approved by the men. In recent months, women from other villages have visited the Ulom Women's Conservation Collective to set up similar initiatives.

WCS Nigeria 💚 @WCS_Nigeria

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The Blue Duiker, Philantomba monticola, is a widespread species & one of the world's smallest antelopes. It is heavily hunted for bushmeat in Nigeria & is declining as a result. It can be found in Cross River National Park, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, & the Mbe Mountains.

♥ 43 17 Nov 2023 · Open on X →

While on one hand the women's struggle is helping to preserve the Sanctuary's biodiversity, on the other it is exposing them to considerable risks. Some have had to suspend their activities due to threats from their husbands, while fundraising for their actions is meeting with growing cultural resistance and obstruction. The expansion of activism to new villages is, however, a clear message of their determination not to give up and to make an ever greater impact.