WINCO Launches Conservation Project, Proposes National Park, Empowers Women 

By Victor Essang
UYO 
The chief executive officer of Women in Nature Conservation Organisation (WINCO) has called for the establishment of a National Park in Akwa Ibom, drawing from Stubbs Creek and other forest reserves across the State.
Mrs. Emem Umoh made the proposal in Uyo during the Statewide Project Launch and Empowerment of Livelihood Beneficiaries under the Participatory Restoration and Management of Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve (SCFR)  a project implemented by WINCO and funded by the UNDP–GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP).
According to her, Akwa Ibom is “long overdue” for a National Park, given its rich ecological endowments and strategic location.
She described the launch as a shared vision to restore nature, improve livelihoods, and secure a greener future for present and future generations.
“For over a decade, WINCO has mobilised women and local communities to take ownership of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation,” she said and expressed gratitude to Governor Umo Eno, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, UNDP-GEF SGP, National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni, Dr. Iniobong Essien, and host communities for their support.
Umoh disclosed that the project seeks to train over 3,000 residents in sustainable forest management and engage 200 others in livelihood ventures such as jackfruit value chain development and poultry farming.
She added that the project’s components include vegetative mapping, the planting of 20,000 economic trees and 5,000 mangrove species, conservation education, and the strengthening of community partnerships through stakeholder engagement.
Delivering his keynote address, the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni, described the initiative, which also featured the flag-off of a tree-planting, as historic.
He noted that the project supports the Federal Government’s drive to plant 25 million trees nationwide.
Goni praised Umoh for her visionary leadership and community-driven conservation efforts, commending the Akwa Ibom State Government and the UNDP-GEF SGP for supporting the cultivation of jackfruit which, he said, has vast economic and nutritional benefits.
He explained that for Akwa Ibom to establish a National Park, the State must donate suitable land and formally apply to the Federal Government indicating interest.
In his goodwill message, the commissioner for environment and mineral resources, Mr. Nsikak Ekong, represented by the permanent secretary, Mrs. Iquo Abia, Esq, described the launch as “a step towards ecological stewardship and sustainable development.”
He commended WINCO and its partners for the initiatives that align with Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda, particularly its focus on Environmental Sustainability and Agricultural Revolution.
Chairman on the occasion and former commissioner for environment and mineral resources, Dr. Iniobong Essien, who is also the immediate past chairman of Akwa Ibom Airport Company Board, lauded Umoh for her consistency and leadership in environmental management.
Essien also commended the UNDP for supporting a vision that complements the state’s sustainability programmes.
  High point of the ceremony included the tree-planting flag-off by Dr. Goni, nursery inspection, empowerment of livelihood beneficiaries, and an exposition on the jackfruit value chain.