Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Cross River State have declared as obsolete the state’s forestry laws, citing this as reason for the lack of sustainable afforestation culture.
The 19 CSOs, after a six-month review of the Cross River Forestry Law 2010, called for urgent reforms to curb deforestation, strengthen institutions and empower forest communities.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in Calabar, the state capital, representatives of the organisations said that fault lines were identified, and recommendations made to amend the law.
Mr. Ken Henshaw, Executive Director of We the People, identified commercial agriculture among others as major drivers of deforestation in the state.
Henshaw said the recent cocoa boom triggered massive forest clearing, warning that monoculture plantations were creating “green deserts” with little biodiversity or livelihood value.
He argued that cocoa, largely grown for export, should not justify destruction of indigenous forests, stressing that standing forests offer greater long-term economic benefits.
“Climate finance, carbon sequestration and ecotourism provide more sustainable revenue opportunities than logging, if backed by sound policies.
“I fault Cross River’s Forestry Law 2010 for treating communities as passive recipients of government decisions rather than active stakeholders in forest governance,” Henshaw said.
He added that the proposed review should allocate seats to community representatives and academics on the board of the Forestry Commission to strengthen transparency and expertise.
Also, Dr Martin Ergot, founder of Padic Africa, said that the reform sought to reposition the Forestry Commission with clear mandates for reforestation, regeneration and afforestation.
Ergot noted that existing penalties for forest offences were weak and enforcement institutions often failed to act against illegal loggers.
He stressed that communities must benefit directly from forest resources and be involved in decision-making processes affecting their ancestral lands.
Similarly, Mr. Nelson Ofem, a former member of the Cross River House of Assembly, said that the Forestry Commission needed to harmonise policy proposals, adopt a legal framework that prioritises sustainability, accountability and community participation.
He appealed to the media to sustain advocacy on the protection of the state’s forest until comprehensive reforms were undertaken to protect Cross River’s forests for future generations.
By Christian Njoku