Roles of local leaders on wildlife conservation effort in Old Oyo National Park, Nigeria

Active involvement of local communities has become an integral part of approaches to sustainable biodiversity conservation. This study assessed the roles local leaders play in the management of Old Oyo National Park. It also assessed the level of interaction and perception of people within the host community on the park. A well-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to obtained information from 100 leaders randomly selected in the study area. Twenty leaders were randomly sampled from each of the five ranges in the park. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Majority (85%) of the respondents were males, reflecting the fact that male play a major role as leaders in the study area compared with female. Many (65%) leaders were involved in Decision making while 30% were occasionally engaged in protection exercise. Provision of jobs (70%) is the most appreciated form of help easily recognised by respondents. However, training of community members on self-reliance job is less popular (10%). Most (70%) respondents have one or more of their relative working with the park. All (100%) respondents agree to support the establishment of the park in their communities. Illegal arrest of leaders’ subjects (50%) and lack of recognition of some communities are the leading causes of conflicts. Half (50%) of misunderstanding between the park and host community were resolved out of court. This study shows that Old Oyo National park management is in good touch with the leaders of the host communities. However, constant assessment of leaders understanding and loyalty is highly recommended in order to strengthen the current relationship. Keywords: Biodiversity Conservation, leaders, local communities, park management