The Achimota Eco-Park concept provides a great opportunity for eco-tourism and environmentally-friendly, money-churning venture worthy of enacting. This pursuit, however, requires that the Achimota Forest is transform from its current subsistence state. As the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Mr. Samuel Afari Dartey reasons: “We should change the outlook of the Achimota Forest from its current status into a world-class eco-tourism enclave, from a traditional forest reserve into an ecological impact, tapping experiences from other countries, such as Kenya, Namibia and South Africa.”
In point of fact, the Achimota project is well-aligned and in rhythm with the fundamental mandate of the Forestry Commission (FC), which enjoins it to manage and develop the forest and wildlife resources and oversee and regulate the timber industry in Ghana. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is patently lucid on its commitment to the success of the Project. “It is a very laudable idea and fits into government development plans. It is going to create lot of jobs, enhance revenue generation and most importantly, it is going to help protect the land under reservation at Achimota. The government will do everything possible to support this project to succeed,” the Sector Minister, Honourable Alhaji Collins Dauda has pledged.
Of course, success is not wished into existence, though. Therefore, the (FC) has designed policies and strategies, which will leverage opportunities in the prosecution of the project. For example, the FC conceptualizes an innovative design, which will compensate for the smaller size of the Achimota Eco-Park, relative to the Nairobi National Park, and still ensure full visitor-patronage, particularly from the local front. The Acting Chief Executive of the FC is clear on this: “The success of every tourism project depends, largely, on local patronage and here, we wish and hope that Ghanaians will patronize the Achimota National Park project, the way foreigner will do.”