In the Cross River State Rainforest, an average of 250 tons of timber is harvested daily; in 10 days, 2,500 tons are lost and within a year 91,250 tons of timber leave the state. As a result of deforestation, small trees and other forest products are destroyed.
Mary Osibu, farmer and member of the community, says “lots of crops and vegetables that we used to grow on their own, no longer exist as a result of bush burning and pesticides, a situation that is made worse by the unending wood logging spree.”
The forest is rapidly depleted, unfortunately, the state government’s policies in the last 14 years have weakened their relationship with the forest and their capacity to remain its protector.
By Francis Annagu, Florence Kekong and Farah Jolly
This story was produced with support from the Rainforest Journalism Fund in partnership with the Pulitzer Centre
