Media coverage of nature conservation and protection in Nigeria National Parks

Abstract

Low level of knowledge and awareness of the conservation efforts and activities of Nigeria National Parks in wider Nigerian public have been observed and prompted this study. Five print media (newspapers) and four electronic media (television and radio) were sampled. The print media were The Punch, Nigerian Tribune, The Nation, The Vanguard and The Guardian newspapers while the electronic media were Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS-Television), Taraba Television Corporation (TTV), Edo Radio and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Ibadan National Station. The electronic media were selected based on the States where National Parks are located. Articles in the selected print media and programmes on the sampled electronic media which cover nature conservation and protection and other environmental issues were analyzed. The result indicates that 316 articles were published on environmental issues by the print media. The Guardian newspaper has the highest number of articles with 257 articles. Articles on nature conservation and protection had the least number of articles published. Broadcast media had no specific programmes on nature conservation.Synergy between Nigeria National Parks Service and major media establishments is required. With this, there will be an increase in public awareness, knowledge, appreciation of parks’ resources, and policy support for biodiversity conservation efforts. These have the tendency to catalyze actions at local and decision-making levels that could halt the degradation of Nigeria’s biodiversity. Keywords: Media, coverage, protected areas, Nigeria National Parks, biodiversity, conservation.