Exportation of Donkey Hide Still Prohibited in Nigeria, Says NAQS

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has said the exportation of donkey hide remains on the Export Prohibition List. Reacting to a news report that suggested that NAQS has resumed the certification of donkey skin for export, the Director-General of the agency, Dr Vincent Isegbe explained that the agency met with all the relevant stakeholders in September 2021 to chart a path to restock the animal through breeding and ranching to put them beyond the threat of extinction. In a statement signed by NAQS Head of Media, Communication and Strategies, Dr Chigozie Nwodo, Isegbe said the resumption of the certification of the commodity for export was based on the rebound of the Nigerian donkey herd, which is still classified as an endangered species. According to him, the government would consider delisting donkey hides from the contraband category, only after the desired recovery of the Nigerian donkey population. “The decline of the donkey population in Nigeria was driven by surging demand for donkey hides in Asia. The product is used in making potions and items presumed to have therapeutic and cosmetic value,” he said. It would be recalled that Nigeria in 2018 banned the exportation of donkey hides after a decline in its population, and the fear of its extinction.

Agro Nigeria