Management of Forest Encroachment in Oban Division of Cross River National Park: An Assessment of Current Interventions

Forest encroachment within the Oban Division of Cross River National Park represents one of the most intractable conservation management challenges in Nigeria's biodiversity-rich southern rainforest belt, threatening a globally significant biodiversity hotspot. This study evaluates the effectiveness of current anti-encroachment interventions employed by the National Park Service and partner organisations in Oban Division, Cross River State. A structured assessment framework examined three categories of intervention: enforcement operations, alternative livelihood programmes, and community engagement structures. Data were gathered through review of patrol records spanning 2020 to 2024, interviews with park rangers and management staff, and focus group discussions with twelve border communities. Encroachment extent was quantified using multi-temporal Sentinel-2 analysis to track farm plot expansion within park boundaries. Results indicate that enforcement-only approaches achieved short-term deterrence but produced conflict-driven reversals during periods of reduced patrol capacity. Alternative livelihood programmes showed high initial uptake but poor sustainability due to weak post-project support. Communities with formalised co-management agreements demonstrated the lowest encroachment rates, with a 62% reduction in new forest conversion compared to communities under enforcement-only regimes. Staff capacity, particularly in negotiation and community facilitation skills, was identified as a critical gap. The study recommends a reorientation of park management strategy toward negotiated co-management in all border communities as the most durable anti-encroachment framework. Keywords: forest encroachment, co-management, Cross River National Park, conservation management, community engagement