Cross River's Vanishing Rainforests: A Civic Imperative for Collective Action. Written by Kebe Ikpi
Cross River State stands as Nigeria's last great bastion of tropical rainforest — a natural heritage of immeasurable value, not only to Nigerians but to humanity itself. Yet this treasure faces an existential threat. What was once an unbroken expanse of biodiversity-rich forest, contiguous with Cameroon's woodlands and home to critically endangered species like the Cross River gorilla, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, forest elephants, and countless endemic flora and fauna, is now fragmenting at an alarming rate. The data is stark: over 60% of the original forest cover has disappeared. Satellite imagery confirms the loss of more than 134,000 hectares between 2001 and 2023 alone. Illegal logging, agricultural encroachment, mining, weak law enforcement, and infrastructure pressures continue to degrade these vital ecosystems — transforming dense rainforests into grasslands, eroding carbon sinks, disrupting climate regulation, and undermining the livelihoods of indi...