Wild Africa Fund, Channels TV Partner to Increase Awareness about Wildlife Conservation

 
Expanding wildlife coverage and building the capacity of local journalists.
 
Channels Television has joined forces with Wild Africa Fund, an international environmental nonprofit inspiring the protection of Africa’s wildlife and wild spaces, to ramp up public awareness of wildlife conservation and tackle illegal wildlife trade.
 
In a statement, it was noted that the new partnership would take on the challenge of popularising the protection of Nigeria’s wildlife and forests, inspiring millions of Nigerians to learn more about the environment, and encouraging them to protect the country’s natural heritage for future generations.
 
The Chairman of Channels Media Group, Dr. John Momoh OON, said: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Wild Africa Fund, a pivotal alliance that underscores our commitment to preserving Nigeria’s rich natural heritage. By harnessing Channels Television’s expansive reach and Wild Africa Fund’s conservation expertise, we aim to ignite a nationwide movement towards wildlife conservation and curb the illegal wildlife trade. Together, we will bring the wonders of Nigeria’s wildlife and forests into the homes of millions, educating and inspiring action to safeguard these treasures for our future generations.”
 
The statement further explained that Nigeria has emerged as a major transit hub in the illicit wildlife trade in recent years, notably involving pangolin scales and ivory.

The statement remarked that in the last three years, the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted about 20,000 kilograms of illegal wildlife products as well as live endangered species about to be smuggled out of the country.

Beyond the arrests, 12 convictions have been made at the court within three years, with many pending cases.
 
To raise awareness and inspire action to address these challenges, Channels TV and Wild Africa Fund will collaborate to publicise wildlife-focused content, such as 30-second public service announcements featuring influential Nigerians in sports, music, business, and more, and short documentaries that support local conservation efforts and educate millions of Nigerians about the need to protect the environment.
 
The CEO of Wild Africa Fund, Peter Knights OBE, said: “Channels TV has a history of environmental coverage, and as our environment is under greater pressure than ever before. Together we can amplify this cause.”  
 
Under this partnership, Wild Africa Fund will work closely with Channels TV to expand the coverage of its award-winning weekly environment show, Earthfile, to include more reporting on biodiversity issues and reporting trips outside Lagos to document the pressing challenges confronting Nigeria’s wildlife and forests.
 
Beyond programming, both organisations recognise the need to build a network of local journalists who will constantly produce in-depth reporting on the environment. This is why, for the first time, the partnership will also introduce conservation-focused media training to improve the capacity of Nigerian journalists at the Channels Academy, a highly respected media training institute in West Africa established in 2017 to train journalists across the region.