admin | October 2, 2026
News Brief
In the communities surrounding Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, women’s conservation collectives are taking the lead on protecting endangered gorillas and chimpanzees. This initiative was born from a realization that traditional, male-led governance often struggled to curb illegal activities in and around the 100-square-kilometer sanctuary. Village residents say that because men were frequently the primary participants in hunting, logging, and river pollution, they often lacked the moral authority to enforce communal bylaws that punish those activities. The collectives conduct regular and spontaneous patrols, sometimes late at night or at dawn, to track signs of hunting, wildfires or illegal logging. The groups also investigate allegations of wildlife crimes, either alone or together with other community leaders, state forestry officers,and nonprofits in the region.
In the communities surrounding Nigeria’s Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, women’s conservation collectives are transforming the protection of a biodiversity hotspot that’s home to the critically endangered Cross River gorilla and endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee.
These collectives are operating in villages such as Ulom, Katabang and Buanchor in southeastern Nigeria. They were born from a realization that traditional, male-led governance often struggled to curb illegal activities in and around the 100-square-kilometer sanctuary.
Village residents say that because men were frequently the primary participants in hunting, logging, and river pollution, they often lacked the moral authority to enforce communal bylaws that punish those activities.
Ogre Mary is founder of the Ulom Women’s Conservation Collective. She says, “Our men have failed to stop the threats. That’s why women decided to take a stand. That’s why we decided to take the risk”.
The collectives conduct regular and spontaneous patrols, sometimes late at night or at dawn, to track signs of hunting, wildfires or illegal logging. The groups also investigate allegations of wildlife crimes, either alone or together with other community leaders, state forestry officers,and nonprofits in the region.
In 2024, women in both Ulom and Buanchor successfully halted illegal timber deals, being made by men, according to Francis Akie, who heads the Traditional Rulers Council of Ulom. The women threatened nude protests, a form of resistance that forced local leaders to refund timber dealers and cancel contracts.
The women’s collectives also patrol the Afi River and other streams to prevent river poisoning, a destructive fishing method. They have even developed manual methods to scoop contaminated water from dammed sections of local rivers to restore water safety for humans and wildlife.
Aside from patrolling and enforcement of communal bylaws, the women also work on ideological campaigns to persuade young people away from hunting and timber trade and toward conservation.
The success of this quiet revolution is already visible. In some communities where the groups are active, river pollution has been nearly eradicated and there has been significant resistance to illegal logging.
Osang Sarah is a member of the Katabang collective who says, “The animals are returning. The forest is gradually regenerating and thick. Recently, we started hearing the calls of chimpanzees once more.”
This story is based on an article written by Orji Sunday, titled “Women’s collectives are protecting Nigeria’s gorilla wildlife sanctuary,” published by Mongabay. To read the full story, go to: https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/07/womens-collectives-are-protecting-nigerias-gorilla-wildlife-sanctuary/
Photo: Julielangford, CC BY-SA 3.0, Cross River Gorilla