Buea: ERuDeF unveils 25th anniversary celebration to culminate December.

The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of ERuDeF, Nkembi Louis, disclosed the information during a press conference held in Buea Friday July 26.

Nkembi said the organisation would from December 3-5, 2024, celebrate 25 years of resilience while brainstorming on it futuristic mission of protecting rainforests, conserving species, and impacting lives. 

Addressing journalists during the press conference, the CEO said ERuDeF would be celebrating and laying plans for the next 25 years under the mandate: "One Earth, One Shared Future".

"In over 25 years, ERuDeF has focused on saving globally threatened species of flora and fauna with focus on plants, birds, primates, amphibians, butterflies as well as their associated ecosystems and ecological corridors," Nkembi said.

The celebrations will also be a platform to examine the growth and contributions of ERuDeF to conservation initiatives in Africa, building new alliances from local, national, governmental, African and global. 

In the face of the ongoing socio-political instability in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, he has expressed his regrets that ERuDeF had witnessed a limited reach. 

Due to the limited reach, he said some protected animal species are being hunted because some areas are inaccessible to donors and funders.

Despite the challenges, he said ERuDeF at 25, remains committed to building a resilient global conservation force by collaborating with and empowering younger conservation organisations across Africa with the organisation’s newest arm, the Erudef Biodiversity University.

"As we keep reflecting on building the next generation of conservation leaders and scientists, the Silver Jubilee will be an occasion to bring forestry, and biodiversity education leaders to build the next blueprint on which to transform the Erudef Biodiversity University into a global university capable of producing operational leaders and scientists required to reverse and eventually stop biodiversity decline," he noted.

The ERuDeF Sliver Jubilee will convene leaders from across the world including government, International Non-Governmental Organisations, academia, Civil Society Organisations and the media.

It will include a series of plenaries, symposia, round tables, storytelling groups, exhibitions, cultural displays and other activities. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3183 of Monday July 29, 2024