Community‐Led Forest Management and Conservation: Insights From Nigeria's Obudu and Mambilla Mountain Forests

Abstract

ABSTRACT High mountain forests are critical socio‐ecological systems, sustaining biodiversity, regulating hydrological cycles, and supporting the livelihoods of millions globally. Across Africa and other tropical regions, community‐based forest governance has emerged as a pivotal framework for reconciling conservation and livelihood objectives, aligning with global initiatives such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. In Nigeria, the Obudu and Mambilla highlands represent fragile montane ecosystems increasingly threatened by deforestation, unsustainable land use, and climate change. Despite the strategic ecological and cultural importance of these highland forests, limited scholarly attention has been given to the role of local communities in their management and conservation. This paper foregrounds community‐led and multi‐actor approaches to forest governance as vital pathways for addressing the intertwined challenges of environmental degradation and rural livelihoods. By situating the Nigerian highland experience within broader African and global debates on participatory forest management, the paper draws on case studies from the Obudu Plateau and Mambilla Highlands to examine traditional ecological knowledge, cultural practices, and evolving partnerships between local actors, government agencies, and non‐governmental organizations. The paper highlights how community stewardship practices counteract the drivers of forest loss while navigating structural barriers such as weak policy implementation and land tenure insecurity. It also explores how emerging policy frameworks including Nigeria's National Forest Policy (2020) and community‐based forest management guidelines shape local agency, rights, and institutional collaboration within highland conservation. The paper argues that strengthening local participation through inclusive, adaptive governance frameworks is essential for sustaining highland forest ecosystems and securing socio‐economic resilience for upland communities. By linking local initiatives to wider regional and international governance frameworks, this paper contributes to global debates on decolonial and justice‐oriented conservation models. This approach opens transformative possibilities for reimagining conservation beyond technocratic solutions, centering the agency of Indigenous and rural actors in environmental decision‐making.