Date of Award

Spring 6-12-2026

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Geography

Organizational Unit

College of Natural Science and Mathematics, Geography and the Environment

First Advisor

Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong

Second Advisor

Paul Sutton

Third Advisor

Matthew Taylor

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Conservation governance, Ecotourism, Flow of value, Lekki Conservation Center, Political ecology

Abstract

This study examines the flow of value in ecotourism at Lekki Conservation Center (LCC) in Lagos, Nigeria, using a political ecology framework to analyze how economic benefits, participation opportunities, and environmental impacts are distributed among different community groups. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 16 community members, participant observation, and photographic documentation, the study investigates how surrounding communities perceive and experience ecotourism, how revenue is understood to be distributed, and in what ways communities are included in or excluded from conservation decision-making. The findings reveal that ecotourism at LCC generates benefits that are unevenly distributed, that community participation in governance remains limited, and that environmental costs fall disproportionately on the most economically vulnerable residents. These findings challenge the assumption that ecotourism is a straightforward win-win strategy for conservation and local development. By centering community voices in an urban African context, this study contributes to broader conversations about environmental justice, conservation governance, and the politics of benefit distribution in ecotourism settings.

Copyright Date

6-2026

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Queen Oluwatobi Olafadehan

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

132 pgs

File Size

3.6 MB

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