During the second half of the 1980s, the Ministry of Tourism under the Siad Barre administration sought to center the tourist industry in the vicinity of the park, with nearby coral reefs and offshore islands likewise envisioned as part of the development.

Its Department of Wildlife also operated an independent law-enforcement unit, which had been created through presidential decree.

In August 2014, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced a number of new development projects aimed at Somalia's youth.

Among these was an initiative to assign leadership of the national park to young managers so as to strengthen environmental preservation and potential tourism opportunities.

[4] The Lag Badana area contains over 200 vascular plant species and is home to rare animals like the lesser kudu.