Nigeria first female Conservator of Park, Caroline Samuel Olory, has won the coveted Africa Travel 100 Award which recognises exceptional women in the travel and tourism sector.
Born on the 22nd of September, She hails from Old Ekuri Village of Akamkpa Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria.
A fellow of the Wildlife Society of Nigeria (F WISON), CP Caroline Olory is a 1991 graduate of Botany from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. She has been in the service of the National Park Service since 1993.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
CP Caroline S. Olory is a thorough-bred professional with strong passion for biodiversity conservation and community development.
She has at various times held the following responsibilities:
Sector Officer, Okwangwo Sector- Cross River National Park (CRNP): this is the Sector of the Park that harbours the Cross River gorilla (Gorrilla gorilla diehli) and several other endemic plant and animal species.
Head of Department- Research, Monitoring and Education-Kainji Lake National Park, New Bussa, Niger State, the Premier National Park and second largest Park in Nigeria.
Head of Department- Planning Research and ICT, CRNP, a position she held till June 2017 when she was appointed the Conservator of Park (CP) by the Conservator General of Nigeria National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni.
HIGHPOINT OF CP CAROLINE SAMUEL OLORY’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO CONSERVATION
By her appointment, CP Caroline Olory becomes the first female Conservator/Controller of National Park in West Africa. She served as Conservator of Park, Cross River National Park (CRNP), from June, 2016 to August, 2021 when she was posted to Old Oyo National Park. CRNP is the third largest Park in Nigeria, reputed to be the richest part of Nigeria’s biodiversity. It is one of the 25 UN’s designated Biodiversity Hotspots in the world; IUCN recognized Important Bird Area (IBA); nominated for World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. The Park is surrounded by one hundred and five communities, (including six enclaves), referred to as Support Zone Communities.
Within her tenure as CP Cross River National Park, CP Caroline Olory exhibited unrivalled dedication to the course of rainforest conservation by strategic networking and synergy with critical stakeholders in the environment community, especially Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, Private Sector and Communities.
Her professional disposition brought about a renewed vigour, commitment and enthusiasm on Officers and men of CRNP, leading to a more effective delivery of the Park’s mandate, which is the effective protection and conservation of the all- important rainforest ecosystem upon which ecotourism is built. This effort has led to the effective positioning of the Park as a compelling ecotourism destination in the country.
Her regular interface with support zone communities, geared towards the resolution of conflicts emanating from resource utilization and conservation ethos between the Park and the communities results to a more robust Park/Community relationship to the benefit of natural resource conservation and community development.
CP Olory is often referred to as the Iron lady of wildlife conservation.
Under her leadership, the Park consistently participated in cultural festivals and expos such as the annual Calabar Carnival, Leboku and Akachak festivals. Also the Park witnessed the upgrading and maintenance of tourism infrastructures as well as improved marketing outreach to schools and organization in the South-South and South East geopolitical zones of the country.
CP Olory has exhibited clear understanding of the dynamics of Park management within a short period of her resumption of duty as Conservator of Park, Old Oyo National Park. She has vigorously pursued the course of strengthening synergies between Old Oyo National Park and other security agencies to ensure adequate security of the Park for safe conservation and tourism activities. Synergies between the park and other conservation and tourism related industries in Oyo State is also a priority for the CP Olorys led Management of Old Oyo National Park.
Such industries include: The Oyo State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism; National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Oyo State; Management of Osun Osogbo World Heritage Site etc. The Park also promotes tourism by participating actively in Cultural festivals within the communities such as the Orayan and Sango festivals.
Since she joined the Park Service, CP Olory, working with prominent conservation/research icons, such as Late Dr. Torben Larsen and Late Prof. Em manuel Asuquo Obot, has undertaken major researches that has led to the discovery of new species of butterflies such as Tetrahanis okwangwo, and plants such as Anceistocladus korupensis, Asplenum cornutum (ASPLENIACEAE), Arthropteris monocarpa (DAVALLIACEAE), Bulbophyllum bequaertii (ORCHIDACEAE), Bulbophylum. medicum (ORCHIDACEAE), Disperis nitida (ORCHIDACEAE) and Habendria oborata (ORCHIDACEAE).
CONFERENCES ATTENDED:
CP Caroline S. Olory, through sponsorship from within the Park Service and NGOs working through her community Conservancy, the Ekuri Initiative, has attended local and international conferences, which include:
World Parks Congress-Sydney, Australia-2014
Disaster Risk Reduction Conference for Protected Area Managers-Sydney, Australia-2014
World Conservation Congress (WCC)-Hawaii, USA-2016
UN Climate Change Congress (Conference of the Parties), COP 22-Marrakesh, Morocco-2016
Business Skill Training for Protected Area Managers-Lajuma Research Centre, Limpopo District, South Africa-2018
8th Biennial International Seminar on: Management and Leadership Development for Women in Africa-Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya-2019
Management Workshop for Top Female Military and Paramilitary Officers- Administrative Staff College Of Nigeria (ASCON), Badagry, Nigeria. 2015.
Awards:
CP Olory has received various awards, notable ones which include:
Award of Conservation Excellence by the Nigerian Chapter for the Society for Conservation Biology (NSCBC)
Award of Excellence by Postgraduate Students Union Government from the University of Calabar
Conferment of Chieftaincy Title of Ntunkae Ojimi (Chief of our Heritage) by Oban Community of Akamkpa Local Government Area, Cross River State.
