Buffon’s Kob. Credits: Neil Bowman from Getty Images
Partner Organisation: West African Conservation Network
Location: Nigeria
The West African Conservation Network (WACN), our newest Alliance Partner, was born from a strong urge to restore West Africa’s vibrant biodiversity. On landscapes where the Nigerian Giraffe, the Roan Antelope, the African Forest and the African Savanna Elephant once roamed, Patrick Ogbonnia Egwu—WACN’s founder and wildlife admirer—laid the foundation for this non-profit.
Founded to tackle the region’s urgent challenges—from habitat loss to poaching—WACN blends scientific rigor, community empowerment, strong governmental partnerships and bold on-the-ground action. Their mission is to ensure the survival of iconic species like the West African Lions, the West African Hartebeest, Ostriches, Elephants, and Waterbucks while restoring the thriving ecosystems that once was West Africa—sustaining both wildlife and local communities.
Roan antelope. Credits: Nico Smit
A Partnership with Kainji Lake National Park
At the core of WACN’s work is the Kainji Lake National Park Project, a transformative effort to revive one of Nigeria’s most critical—and threatened—protected areas. Spanning over 5,300 km², Kainji Lake is a biodiversity hotspot, home to Lions, Buffon’s Kob, Leopards—around 65 mammal species—and migratory Birds. Yet decades of underfunding, illegal logging, and poaching have pushed its ecosystems to the brink.
Red Hartebeest. Credits: Nico Smit
WACN’s project is an ambitious restoration plan:
Anti-Poaching & Patrols: training and equipping rangers to combat wildlife crime, using camera traps and drone surveillance to monitor high-risk zones.
Habitat Restoration: replanting native vegetation and creating corridors to reconnect fragmented habitats for elephants and big cats.
Community Engagement: working with local villages to develop sustainable livelihoods (like beekeeping and eco-tourism) that reduce reliance on destructive practices.
Research & Policy: collecting data for an ecological baseline study and collaborating with scientists to document biodiversity shifts and to advocate for stronger policies.
We can all appreciate the energy it takes to build strong relationships and its important part at the centre of the rewilding puzzle. By signing a 31-year long MOU with the Nigeria National Park Service, WACN consolidates a partnership and has become a central piece in the rewilding of the park.
There’s more. To strengthen that commitment, they have recently signed an agreement for $45,000 funding from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF-SGP)!
Already, the project has seen these early wins—but the ultimate goal is larger: to make Kainji Lake National Park a model for protected area recovery across West Africa – and beyond.
Waterbuck. Credits: David O’Brien from Getty Images
An overlooked biodiversity
West Africa is a rewilding frontline. With some of the highest deforestation rates globally and wildlife populations in freefall, WACN’s work is rooted in urgency. Their approach stands out because they focus on overlooked ecosystems—like Kainji—that don’t get global attention but are vital for regional biodiversity. They thrive to unite science and tradition, pairing satellite mapping with local knowledge to protect landscapes. And their strongest hold is that they build local leadership, ensuring nature recovery isn’t imposed but owned by West African communities.
As they scale up the Kainji project and expand to other sites, WACN lays the road map to collaborative rewilding of ecosystems. We are happy to welcome them into the Alliance!
Lioness at Kainji. Photo credit: WACN.