The Wildlife Resources Management Bill 2022 in Ghana, aimed at promoting ecotourism, job creation, and economic growth, is currently awaiting Presidential assent.
According to Nyadia Sulemana Nelson, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, the bill aims to revise and consolidate laws related to wildlife and protected areas, aligning them with existing policies and emerging trends in the natural resources sector.
Additionally, the bill aims to facilitate private investments in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries while providing legal support to local communities in wildlife management through the creation of Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs).
“The private sector has already demonstrated interest in participating in the development of the sector, and since the government cannot do it alone, we need to create the enabling environment to attract the necessary private investments into the sector, with a strong regulatory framework,” Mr Nelson said.
The Deputy Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission in Ghana, Nyadia Sulemana Nelson, highlighted the country’s potential in ecotourism, emphasizing its abundant resources that could position Ghana as a major ecotourism destination globally.
Richard Gyimah, the Director for Stakeholders, Ecotourism, and Wildlife at the commission, noted that private participation in the wildlife sector, particularly in establishing zoos and wildlife parks, would be done in collaboration with the Commission.
“We always say the private sector is the engine of growth, so this is another area we have identified that the private sector can partner with the government to induce growth in the country. Already, we have been partnering with some private operators, but the law provides the legal backing to deepen that,” Mr Gyimah stated.
Richard Gyimah expressed the belief that private investment in the wildlife sector would lead to the expansion of the subsector, creating job opportunities for various roles such as tour guides, zookeepers, rangers, and within the broader hospitality industry.
He also emphasized that private participation would provide researchers and academic institutions with access to a wider range of wildlife species. Gyimah highlighted the potential for private sector involvement to elevate ecotourism in Ghana to international standards, generating increased tourism revenue and foreign exchange.
“With private sector participation, we believe these revenue numbers will increase, and we will increase the revenue accruing to the state,” he said.
Statistics showed that the sector have seen remarkable growth in activities, especially after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
From 300,000 visitors to ecotourism sites in 2022, the number has increased to nearly 400,000 in 2023, and the commission aims to attract at least 500,000 visitors in 2024.
Also, he said the visits generated 4.5 million Ghana cedis (374,000 U.S. dollars) in 2022 and 6.0 million cedis (499,000 dollars) for the commission this year.
In 2024, the Commission plans to supervise the successful completion of reclamation and revegetation activities in mined-out sites within the Denyau Shelterbelt, Supuma and Afao Hills Forest Reserves, submit Legal Acquisition Findings (LAF) for Rosewood to CITES Secretariat, Geneva and obtain approval for Rosewood quota and a US$7 million funding for private plantation development as well as cut sod for Koforidua Zoo project.