A women’s collective in Nigeria is taking on illegal activities carried out by men within a protected area. Their grassroots conservation model is proving so effective that it is now being adopted by neighbouring villages.
In southeastern Nigeria, there is a nature reserve that is home to rare and endangered species. It is called the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, and its forests shelter the Cross River gorilla—one of the world’s rarest primates—as well as chimpanzees and many other animal species. In recent years, however, illegal logging, poaching and river pollution have threatened the conservation of this unique biodiversity. In response, a group of women from the village of Ulom founded an environmental conservation association in 2023. Through a range of initiatives, they are achieving significant results in protecting the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, inspiring similar groups to emerge in neighbouring villages.
The Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Cross River State, in southeastern Nigeria. Covering more than 100 square kilometres, it includes lowland forests, submontane vegetation and peaks rising to 1,300 metres above sea level. The sanctuary is home to endangered species such as the Cross River gorilla, listed as Critically Endangered, the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, the drill, and the grey-necked rockfowl. It is also visited by migratory European barn swallows, whose numbers can reach 20 million individuals during certain periods of the year.
The sanctuary was established in 2000 to protect this exceptionally fragile wildlife. Today it is managed by the Cross River State Forestry Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Forestry. Despite these efforts, illegal activities continue to threaten this valuable habitat.
Illegal hunting is widespread within the protected area, while unauthorized banana and cocoa plantations have been established in the forest. Deliberately set fires are used both to clear land for agriculture and to flush out wildlife for hunting. Illegal logging also remains a major problem and often operates alongside regulated timber harvesting, as authorities have signed agreements with timber traders. River pollution caused by these illegal activities further threatens the ecological health of the sanctuary.
Sixteen villages lie within the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, with a combined population of around 27,000 people. For years, local communities have promoted initiatives and strategic partnerships to combat environmental crimes and protect the surrounding biodiversity. One of the most influential groups is the Ulom Women’s Conservation Collective.
Founded in 2023 by Ofre Mary, 42, the collective initially came together to fight illegal fishing in the sanctuary’s rivers. Over the past three years, it has become a leading force for environmental protection and for challenging illegal activities carried out almost exclusively by men.
The group meets twice a month to plan its actions and also conducts patrols alongside local authorities to identify environmental offences and deter illegal activities. One of its members, Akan Grace, lost her family’s farm several years ago after a wildfire caused by human negligence. That experience led her into environmental activism, and she now serves as the group’s public relations officer.
As reported by Mongabay, which visited the village of Ulom, the women successfully pressured local authorities in 2024 to halt a timber agreement that would have exposed the sanctuary to destructive logging. Residents organised roadblocks and acts of civil resistance, following the example of a similar mobilisation in 2021, when women from the village—before formally creating the collective—had already succeeded in stopping another logging deal.
While the women’s activism is helping preserve the sanctuary’s biodiversity, it has also exposed them to significant risks. Some have been forced to suspend their activities because of threats from their husbands, while fundraising for their initiatives continues to face cultural resistance and obstruction. Even so, the spread of this movement to new villages sends a clear message: these women have no intention of giving up, and they are determined to become an increasingly powerful force in protecting one of Nigeria’s most valuable ecosystems.
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