US Ambassador calls on Ghanaians to protect National Parks


The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson, has called on the government and people of Ghana to put in more effort to protect National Parks across the country. 

He noted that, besides serving as a source of income for the people, national parks also contribute significantly to reducing the impact of global warming. 

The US ambassador was speaking in an exclusive interview with Radio Ghana’s Northern Regional correspondent, Murtala Issah in Tamale after a visit to the Mole National Park. 

He explained that, as part of the centenary celebration of the establishment of National Parks Service in the US, every ambassador is expected to visit the most important national park in their country of residence. 

The US ambassador spent five days in the Northern Region, three of which were spent at the Mole National Park. 

The Mole National Park is Ghana’s largest park with thousands of rare plant and animal species. 

The park was established in 1958 and has the largest elephant population in Ghana. 

The Mole National Park attracts visitors from all over the world and provides hundreds of jobs for the people of the area. 

The US ambassador used his visit to promote environmental conservation, meeting traditional leaders, youth leaders and other influential people in the region. 

“I believe that national parks should be an asset, they should generate revenue for the communities that host them and also the government, but in order to make that happen, we need to make the park assessible, and we need to ensure that, people are aware of that,” he stated. 

The Northern Region is home to some wild growing economic trees including Shea nut and dawada. 

Thousands of families especially women depend on Shea nut picking for incomes. 

These economic trees are however, under threat as communities are cutting them down for fuel without replacing them. 

Ambassador Jackson is of the view that, the Shea industry in particular needs a change in attitude to flourish. 

“The importance of valuing and adding value to traditional crops like Shea, dawadawa and moringa, because these all exist here and yet people t to plant mangoes intead of moringa trees and there is probably more value that could be obtained  in the medium term from planting Shea, moringa and dawadawa,” he said. 

Mr. Jackson said he will like to see farmers take up the cultivation of shea trees instead of relying on the wild trees. 

“I understand traditionally, people don’t plant shea, but that’s one of the things we hope this project will change, that we can educate the people that, not only gathering the nuts naturally, but actually planting shea so you can have a predictable crop,” he added. 

He believes, the income levels of women will greatly be improved if more attention is paid to traditional crops. 

The US Ambassador, urged the people of the region, to take conservation seriously to ensure sustainable development.


GBC