Potentials of Indigenous Knowledge in the Management of Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park, Nigeria

Abstract

Institutional changes in the management of biodiversity over the years have given rise to negative impacts on forest conservation, however, the use of traditional knowledge systems, taboos, sacred sites and institutions have great potentials in the conservation and utilisation of forest and wildlife resources. The study, therefore, accessed the potentials of indigenous knowledge in the management of Okwangwo division of Cross River National Park. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect primary data while secondary data were sourced from relevant documents in cross river national park as well as other past studies on the area. A total of 188 questionnaires were administered in four selected communities in the study area while forty 40 questionnaires were administered to park rangers in the division. Respondents identified four major traditional institutions that exist in the communities including Ntsebe-Oshie, Mfam, Mgbe, and Angbu. Ntsebe-Oshie was overwhelmingly rated by respondents as the most prominent traditional institution in the area (100%), followed by Mfam (94%), angbu (67%) and Mgbe (66%). The most dominant practice in the communities as submitted by a majority of the respondents was traditional harvesting methods 97%, while royal traditional rules, taboos and secret landscapes were all rated equally (85%). However spiritual landscape received the least scores from respondents (64%), the majority of the respondents asserted that violation of the rules and regulations enacted by these communities attracted sanctions by Ntsebe-Oshie, while the general perception of the respondents was that indigenous knowledge has great potentials in supporting protected area management in the division. However, the park rangers interviewed alluded to the fact that these special traditional knowledge system was not incorporated by the park in its overall management. Combination of various strategies including traditional knowledge is recommended for the effective management of the park.