Nigeria and Six Countries Get $50,000 Grants for Biodiversity Projects

Nigeria and six other countries in the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People have each received $50,000 grants. This funding comes from the Rapid Deployment Mechanism and is meant for projects that help meet their 30×30 conservation goals.

The grants were announced at the ongoing 17th session of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Armenia.

The countries benefiting from this grant are Costa Rica, Mexico, Nigeria, Nepal, Zambia, Rwanda, and Kenya. Each country received a certificate confirming its $50,000 grant for its project.

Nigeria’s grant is for a project called “Strengthening Nigeria’s 30×30 Progress through Ecological Connectivity, Terrestrial and Marine OECMs, and Protected Area Management Effectiveness.”

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation will carry out this project.

Costa Rica’s project is titled “From 30×30 Coverage to Effective Conservation: Developing an Acceptable Visitation Load Tool for Cocos Island National Park.” This project aims to boost conservation management at the national park.

Mexico’s project is called “Strengthening Mexico’s Marine 30×30 through Underwater Acoustic Baselines and Evidence-Based Protected Area Management.” Nepal’s project focuses on recognizing new area-based conservation measures to meet its conservation targets.

Zambia’s project is named “Strengthening Zambia’s 30×30 Progress through the Busanga Swamps Wetland Inventory and Management Effectiveness Assessment.” Rwanda’s project aims to improve community-based conservation and ecological connectivity.

Kenya’s project is about marine conservation, titled “Advancing Kenya’s Marine 30×30 through Community-Led OECMs, Indigenous and Local Knowledge, and Effective Marine Protected Area Management.”

Nigeria’s award was given to Sikeade Egbuwalo, who represents the country at the Convention on Biological Diversity. Other countries also received their awards, but Kenya's representative could not attend.

In her speech, Mrs. Egbuwalo thanked the HAC secretariat and the RDM for their support. She said, “This support will not only help us to achieve the 30×30 targets but also help us to address the issue of fragmented habitat, which has been a big issue in Nigeria.”

The RDM aims to fill funding gaps by providing smaller funds to kickstart bigger conservation efforts. The organizers said, “By providing fast, flexible seed grants, the RDM bridges the gap between early-stage requirements and larger funding sources, helping countries accelerate actions to achieve their 30×30 goals.”

During the event, some grant recipients shared their experiences. They talked about how important this funding is for biodiversity conservation in their countries.

Labaran Ahmed, Nigeria’s Chief Scientific Officer, thanked the HAC secretariat for their work. He said, “We look forward to seeing your projects move forward and contribute to your country’s effort to achieve the 30×30 targets.”

Joseph Onoja, Director-General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, called the award a major step in Nigeria’s conservation journey. He said it shows NCF’s role in advancing biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and sustainable resource management.

“Working with the Federal Ministry of Environment, NCF will provide scientific and technical support to help Nigeria meet its global 30×30 target of conserving at least 30% of land and sea by 2030,” he said.

Mr. Onoja explained that the project will find and map important conservation areas, assess how well protected areas are managed, and create a management effectiveness framework.

He mentioned that these actions will produce essential evidence and suggestions to improve Nigeria’s conservation network and governance. He added that the award highlights the need for strong partnerships between the government and conservation groups.

“NCF is dedicated to working with the Federal Ministry of Environment, government agencies, research institutions, conservation partners, and local communities to improve conservation and advance Nigeria’s 30×30 goals,” he said.

Mr. Onoja noted that this initiative is a key investment in Nigeria’s ecological future, protecting biodiversity and ensuring that nature continues to support the lives of both present and future generations.