A Systematic Review of Resource Conservation Strategies in Nigeria

Resource conservation is essential to addressing global environmental challenges such as deforestation, desertification, and biodiversity loss. In Nigeria, weak institutions, inadequate funding, and poor community participation hinder sustainable conservation. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Nigeria’s conservation policies, identify key challenges, and propose adaptive strategies. Guided by the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, which explains stress arising from resource loss, the study adopts a qualitative research design using secondary data from scholarly publications, policy reports, and institutional documents. Findings reveal that global conservation successes rely on strong participation, policy coherence, and sustainable financing, while Nigeria’s progress remains constrained by governance weaknesses and limited stakeholder engagement. The study concludes that institutional reform, community-based conservation, and environmental education are crucial for achieving long-term sustainability. It recommends participatory, well-funded, and technologically supported conservation models suited to Nigeria’s ecological realities.

Resource Conservation, COR Theory, Community-Based Conservation

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