According to this article from Mongabay, in southeast Nigeria, women are leading a grassroots movement to protect the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. A 100-square-kilometer refuge for the critically endangered Cross River gorilla, chimpanzees, drills, and other wildlife.
Facing threats from illegal logging, hunting, wildfires, and river pollution, women from surrounding communities created conservation groups to enforce local environmental rules. The movement began in Ulom in 2023, when Ofre Mary founded the Ulom Women’s Conservation Collective after women decided they needed to take action where previous efforts had failed.
The women patrol forests and rivers, investigate illegal activities, support enforcement of community laws, and work with traditional leaders and conservation organisations. Their actions have helped stop logging deals, reduce pollution, and strengthen accountability by ensuring that conservation rules apply to everyone.
Their success has inspired similar women-led groups in other Afi communities, including Buanchor and Katabang. These groups now share knowledge and coordinate efforts to protect the sanctuary as a whole.
Despite challenges such as limited funding, equipment shortages, and social resistance, the women’s work is producing results. Communities report cleaner rivers, recovering forests, and signs of returning wildlife, including chimpanzees.
The Afi women’s movement demonstrates how local leadership and community action can play a vital role in protecting endangered species and preserving natural ecosystems.
