Assessment of the Economic Benefits of Conservation Activities at Kwano Chimpanzee Forest Habitat in Gashaka Gumti National Park (GGNP), Nigeria

The assessment of the economic benefits of the conservation of the Kwano chimpanzee forest habitat for sustainable conservation in GGNP, Nigeria was primarily aiming at assessing the economic benefits derived so far by the indigenes of the Gashaka village which is the closest settlement to the forest and the GGNP staff for the purpose of improving sustainable conservation within the park. Data was collected through Purposeful or Judgmental Sampling by standardized face-to-face interviews scheduled according to Ezebilo et al. [1] by the help of questionnaire. Most (67.5%) of the respondents were males, age classes for Gashaka residents had a mean of 44±1.89 and 39±1.57 for the Park Staff; 67.5% were primary school leavers, 14.71% had no formal education; 52.94% were farmers, 5.88% civil servants; 92.31% were married, 7.69% unmarried; household size in Gashaka had a mean of 4±0.14 and for Park staff was 4±0.18. Mean cash income for Gashaka community= ₦35,333±7,090.68; Park Staff= ₦22,083±5,545.18. All the respondents (79.41% for Gashaka residents and 100% for Park staff) claimed employment, physical cash and the provision of social amenities: health, education, road, borehole as benefits gained from conservation activities. More benefits are generated by the local communities during the dry months with the highest being in February (₦45,000), ₦43,000 in March and ₦41,000 in April while least in the wet months of August (₦23,000), ₦25,000 in July and ₦28,000 in September for Gashaka community whereas for Park Staff it was April (₦29,000), ₦28,000 in May and ₦27,000 in January and least in August (₦13,000), ₦14,000 in September and ₦14,000 in November. Collaborating with traditional rulers (100%), creation of more jobs (100%) were some of the suggested strategies for conservation.