Campo Ma’an National Park: African Wildlife Foundation, stakeholders discuss strengthening biodiversity conservation.

This was the focus of a meeting in Kribi on Monday, December 8. AWF organised the gathering in partnership with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF; the World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, and the Global Environment Facility, GEF.

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, of the Ocean Division, Bouba Haman, opened discussions. Participants included municipal authorities, industry representatives, civil society organisations, indigenous association, technical and financial partners.

Officials said the goal remains to strengthen collective action for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the Campo Ma'an landscape. 

Exchanges also looked at challenges and opportunities related to biodiversity conservation and progress of a previous stakeholders’ forum organised in March 2023.

The meeting also saw the consultation of actors on the ongoing revision of the PNCM management plan. Participants also adopted an updated action plan on the management of the Park.

There was also a review of work on the conservation and development of the Campo Ma'an National Park, efforts of development partners and experience sharing, encourage research, funds mobilisation, conflicts management, capacity building and communication.

Finding the right balance

The SDO of Ocean Division told participants that the major challenge with the Campo Ma’an remains to strike a sustainable on balance in the face of issues that continue to arise.

Bouba Haman said to achieve socio-economic and environmental goals, “…we must indeed take ownership of the problems caused by our interventions or raised by the populations and collectively pool our efforts to seek equal sustainable solutions”.

He praised the stakeholders’ forum as an avenue to renew collective synergy “…in the context of biodiversity conservation and development in the Campo Ma'an landscape”.

Expert stresses need for conservation

Forestry Engineer and Protected Areas Management Expert, Memvi Abessolo Charles Innocent, said the presence of the Park will address issues of environmental destruction that had been noticed.

Memvi stated that biodiversity conservation requires continuous work to benefit contemporary and future generations. He said Campo Ma’an landscape remains a priority zone for the development of the country through the different projects.

“At the Ma'an site, you will see the Memve’ele hydroelectric dam; on the Kribi site you have the Kribi sea port, agro-industries; CamVert, HEVECAM, SOCAPALM,” he said, adding that more projects are coming up that will affect the environment.

He further stated that there is need for a balance between conservation and the economic development unfolding in the Campo Ma'an zone. The population, Memvi said, must not suffer given the different projects being executed.

Memvi said stakeholders also discussed reconciling development and conservation to achieve sustainable development.

Enter AWF Landscape Manager

On the role of African Wildlife Foundation in the preservation of the Campo Ma’an National Park, the organisation’s Landscape Manager, Massussi Jacque Angeline, said they are supporting the Ministry of Forestry and conservation services both technically and financially.

Massussi said they visit communities, hear their concerns and needs before setting up projects that address issue raised. 

“…we try to set up projects, micro-projects, community activities to help them change their activity,” the AWF Landscape Manager stated. 

Massussi added that African Wildlife Foundation also supports locals in the Park to manage and produce in agriculture, livestock farming, fish farming and honey production among others.

“We have recorded a lot of success so far as the local communities have reduced the rate of poaching and now involve in agriculture through the support and training, we are providing to them,” Massussi told The Guardian Post.

He said the people around the Park now, “produce cocoa and other cash crops which they can use to feed themselves and take care of their families”.

Massussi also highlighted that AWF is in collaboration with local communities to enhance conservation efforts especially in the area of wildlife.

Enter GEF representative

The representative of the Global Environment Facility, GEF 7 project, an environmental conservation project supported by the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, MINEPDED, Mvogo Simon Thierry, situated instruments guiding the Park.

Mvogo disclosed it involves the environmental and social management framework, the stakeholder engagement plan, the indigenous peoples plan and the grievance redress mechanism. 

He added to it the gender plan which GEF and other partners follow to endeavor the landscape is managed properly. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3650 of Tuesday December 09, 2025