Nigeria collaborates with Regional Stakeholders to fight illegal wildlife

The Nigerian government says it will continue to collaborate with Partners and stakeholders at the national and regional levels in thematic areas in the fight against illegal wildlife and forest trade.

The government said it is also committed to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of fauna and flora (CITES) and will not relent in its fight against illegal wildlife.

Nigeria’s Minister of Environment Mr Mohammed Abdullahi disclosed this at the launch of the National Strategy on Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Mr Abdullahi said this would be done through the mechanisms of investigation, enforcement, prosecution, and stockpile management.

“Unparalleled attention will be focused on the implementation framework as enunciated in the Strategy. Similarly, attention will be focused on the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis taking into account the highlighted political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal, environmental, and law enforcement indices with a view to ensuring that key players at the Federal, State and other levels do the needful and are guided and motivated appropriately to maximise the gains of the Strategy,” the Minister explained.

Action and Collaboration

He said the Ministry was also stepping up action and collaboration with Partners on awareness and advocacy campaign and sensitization in the protection and conservation of wildlife and forest resources while discouraging illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife.

“Our awareness and advocacy campaign are also being intensified and expanded to include Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the railways and airline operators in which giant dedicated electronic billboards will be erected at strategic locations at our airports and others with clear and instructive messages to create awareness and sensitization in the protection and conservation of wildlife and forest resources while discouraging illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife,” the Minister stated.

According to him, the Nigeria wildlife and Forest crime requires enhancing institutional capacity strengthening legal frameworks, increase collaboration, raise awareness on wildlife and design alternative means of livelihood for dwellers in local communities.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment Sharon Ikeazor said the Strategy was aimed at tackling wildlife and forest crime as well as achieve sustainable forests management that would also address climate change.

She noted that there was need to reverse the negative trend of social, political and economic impacts of wildlife crime in Nigeria.

Ikeazor further said that with the strategic goal and objectives coupled with implementation coordination and implementation framework, the document has the potential to facilitate reduction in the rate of wildlife and forest crime in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is blessed with cornucopia of natural resources which comprise of rich biodiversity ranging from aquatic to terrestrial fauna and flora. The over 1,800 species of fauna and about 4,600 species of flora reported to be found in Nigeria are under serious multiple threats pushing them to the verge of being lost irredeemably. Wildlife and Forest crime which include the illegal taking, trading, harvesting, processing, killing, possessing and consumption of wild fauna and flora in all its habitat range-aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal has in recent years been a big challenge in the conservation of biodiversity within the nation’s boundaries,” Ikeazor explained.

She however commended the United Nations Office for Drug and Crime UNODC, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, German Government, Born Free America, Environmental Investigation Agency, EIA, and Africa Nature Investors ANI, among others, for their support and contributions.

Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mr Oliver Stolpe urge the Ministry to move quickly towards formalizing the coordination and implementation framework of the strategy.

Mr Stolpe, said the framework would enable all stakeholders involved  a better Coordinating efforts towards a greater impact and abetter protection of Nigeria’s wildlife and forests.

“Nigeria over the past decade has evolved into a primary transit hub for the trafficking of wildlife products, including ivory, pangolin scales and other protected species. At the same time, Nigerian wildlife and forests are under severe threat, with immense amounts of rare tropical woods being illegally extracted and smuggled out of the country,” Mr Stolpe explained.

Mr Stolpe noted that Nigerian wildlife and forests are under severe threat, with immense amounts of rare tropical woods being illegally extracted and smuggled out of the country.

“UNODC’s 2020 Wildlife Crime Report found that despite Nigeria being home to less than 0.1% of Africa’s elephant population, 23% of all elephant tusks seized globally between 2015 and 2019 had been smuggled through Nigerian ports, we have seen Nigeria evolve into a major export hub for pangolin scales, with close to 60% of all seizures having either originated or been trafficked through Nigeria,” Mr Stolpe added.

Economic Counselor Embassy of the United States of America, Mr. Ian Sheridan, also stressed the need to conserve the diversity of life on this plant to support the ecosystem.

He said wildlife trafficking and forestry Crime undermine the civil law facilitate corruption, deprives communities of livelihoods and contribute to the spread of disease.

He said, “To help conserve the Nigeria forest, the US early this year  launch  a 20 million dollars a five year project to help develop alternative livelihoods  across the national parks and the Yakanri games reserve in Bauchi state, North east Nigeria.”

Enhance Investigation

He noted that the United States was also supporting the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crime in Nigeria and has trained prosecutors and judges, and government agencies, NESREA, EFCC and others to enhance investigations and inter-agency information sharing.

“We see promise in this new national strategy to develop a culture of enforcement not just for the big shipments that make the headlines but for the everyday trafficking of wildlife we see in the market and online,” Mr. Sheridan added.

Representative of the British High Commissioner, Mr Sean Melbourne said the document was a blue print for Nigeria to itsstainably manage its Biodiversity.

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali, (Rtd) also reiterates the service commitment to eliminate and reduce wildlife crime in the country to the barest minimum.

“The launch of the National Strategy is a boost to the activities and functions  that the Nigerian Custom have been carrying on in the service,” he stated.

The National Strategy is to combat Wildlife and Forest Crime 2022-2026,  to strengthen Nigeria’s Response to the trafficking of wildlife and Forestry products.
 

Confidence Okwuchi