Impacts of Ecotourism on Local Communities of Mole National Park, Ghana and Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria: A Comparative Study

This study assessed the perceived positive and negative impacts of ecotourism on the livelihood of adjacent communities of Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria and Mole National Park, Ghana. For this study, a structured questionnaire was distributed to 582 community members living near the two national parks. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were employed to evaluate the data. The increase in the conservation of Park biodiversity at both Parks was found to have the most favourable effects on how people perceived the impact of the ecotourism development. The most negative impact of ecotourism growth at Kainji communities was the rise in destruction caused by wildlife to crops and livestock, while at Mole communities the most negative impact was the reduced available land for farming. According to paired sample test results, there is a significant difference between the positive benefits at the two National Parks and the negative impacts at both (P<0.05). To create more positive impacts, increase in employment especially of indigene of adjacent communities into the junior cadre, more collaboration and sponsorship to provide projects and programmes that could adequately meet the needs of the communities should be embarked upon by the park Management.