Safeguarding Nigeria’s Wildlife

Some species of wildlife are going into extinction worldwide, especially in Nigeria, and this dangerous trend needs to be checked, writes  Michael Olugbode

The importance of wildlife is not known to many and as such it is often placed under existential threat. Many do not know that threats to wildlife are threats to human existence. This is because wildlife has multifaceted importance and is essential for maintaining the balance of ecosystems, human well-being, and the planet’s health.

Some of the importance of wildlife can be classified as ecological which includes: Biodiversity, ecosystem services, food chains, and habitat maintenance. Also, its environmental importance includes climate regulation, and soil conservation, among others.

To the Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office, Nigeria, Danilo Campisi, the World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 reminds everyone that harms resulting from wildlife crime include a range of interlinked negative environmental, social, economic and governance impacts, which are evident in the ongoing exploitation of Nigeria’s rich biodiversity.

Campisi speaking recently at the launch of the International Consortium for Combatting Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit for Nigeria – the ICCWC Toolkit Report, noted that the Wildlife Chapter of UNODC’s Organised Crime Threat Assessment for Nigeria, published in 2023, cited UNODC’s World Wildlife Seizures Database, to have revealed that there are over 1,000 records between 2011 and 2020 indicating Nigeria as a source, transit, or destination country, or where the offender was a Nigerian national.

The research also found that increased enforcement activities at Apapa Port may have led traffickers to use other Nigerian ports more frequently.

The report, according to him, further identified border towns like Gaya in Niger, near the borders of both Nigeria and the Benin Republic, as strategic sites where wildlife products like elephant ivory and pangolin scales are stored before being imported into Nigeria.

Another finding suggests that armed groups are increasingly involved in the illegal harvesting and trafficking of rosewood, with nine park rangers losing their lives in violent encounters with illegal loggers in Gashaka-Gumti National Park.

 Additionally, findings from the World Wildlife Report 2024 launched in Vienna this year, indicates that rosewood has been severely depleted due to unsustainable exploitation. The CITES ban on rosewood exports from Nigeria may have come just in time to save the species from complete extinction.

“However, this has placed pressure on other wood species in Nigerian forests. The research indicates that with the depletion of rosewood and the CITES ban, loggers have swiftly moved on to the Apa species, scientifically known as Afzelia. Like Pterocarpus erinaceus (rosewood), Afzelia species are nitrogen-fixing legumes, and Afzelia africana is reported to reduce erosion and be somewhat fire-resistant. Its exploitation, therefore, creates real harm to local communities,” he added.

The World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 reminds everyone that the harms resulting from wildlife crime include a range of interlinked negative environmental, social, economic, and governance impacts, which are evident in the ongoing exploitation of Nigeria’s rich biodiversity.

 “While the Nigeria Customs Service must be commended for its efforts which has resulted in increased seizures at land, sea, and airport border points, two-thirds of all seizures involving Nigeria were reported by authorities of other countries. This suggests that interception capabilities still need to be strengthened.

 “Enhanced information exchange and cooperation with relevant authorities in countries of origin, transit, and destination offer opportunities for intelligence-led operations and parallel or joint investigations aimed at detecting and dismantling trafficking networks.

 “In this context, it is critical  to understand what further steps are required to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife and forest products,” Campisi explained.

Speaking further, Campisi revealed that the ICCWC Analytical Toolkit for Nigeria, conducted by UNODC in cooperation with all relevant Nigerian authorities under the overall lead of the Federal Ministry of Environment, examined the effectiveness of the legal and regulatory environment, as well as the institutional capacities of specialised law enforcement, prosecution, and the judiciary to prevent, detect, investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate wildlife and forest crimes.

“This assessment provides important inputs for the effective implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria 2022-2026, which was first launched in 2022,” he said.

He noted that: The ICCWC toolkit report provides us with new insights and recommendations aimed to strengthen the legal and institutional response to wildlife and forest crime in Nigeria and I urge all national stakeholders to work together to advance the implementation of these recommendations.”

According to UNODC’s findings, wildlife and forest crime is a serious and escalating issue. The United Nations agency said recently, Nigeria has become a major transit hub for trafficking illicit wildlife products, including pangolin scales, ivory, and other protected species from Eastern and Central Africa. These products enter the country through porous land borders and exploit Nigeria’s advanced sea and airport infrastructure.

To combat these challenges, the Government of Nigeria requested support from the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) in 2019 to implement the Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit and the ICCWC Indicator Framework for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime. The ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit, according to UNODC, enables a comprehensive assessment of a country’s preventive, law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial responses to wildlife and forest crime. It reviews data systems, processes, and wildlife demand, identifying strengths and gaps in current responses.

The Toolkit provides short and long-term recommendations to address key challenges, offering an evidence base for authorities and ICCWC to enhance national responses to wildlife and forest crime. The results are compiled into a comprehensive report, informing the development of specific work plans for national capacity-building and technical assistance.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has finalized the findings of the ICCWC Toolkit Assessment for Nigeria. The report outlines 33 recommendations to strengthen Nigeria’s wildlife criminal justice system. Key recommendations include: Supporting the Endangered Species Protection and Conservation Bill 2024; Scaling up joint wildlife investigations through a Joint Investigations Team, including the Nigeria Customs Service, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), INTERPOL National Central Bureau, and anti-money laundering agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU); and establishing a wildlife crime unit in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, among others.

To underline its seriousness to combat the crime on wildlife, the federal government, through its Ministry of Environment, endorsed the ICCWC Toolkit report, with UNODC promising to support the implementation of its recommendations.

At the launch of the report recently in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal, represented by the Director of Planning and Research, in the Ministry, Stanley Jonah, noted that while Nigeria has taken several proactive steps to combat wildlife crime, much more needs to be done as wildlife crime is a complex transnational issue that requires a multifaceted approach. Speaking at the launch of the international consortium on combating wildlife toolkit assessment report for Nigeria, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass, said Nigeria stands at a critical juncture in our nation’s efforts to safeguard its rich biodiversity and to curb the illegal activities that threaten our wildlife and natural heritage.

He added: “Nigeria is a nation blessed with an abundance of natural endemic iconic natural resources such as gorilla, elephant, pangolin, ostrich, lion, flora, including some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. However, these blessings come with immense responsibility.

“Over the past few decades, we have witnessed an alarming increase in wildlife crime, including poaching, illegal logging, and trafficking of endangered species. These crimes only threaten our environment but also undermine the rule of law, fuel corruption, and deprive communities of their livelihoods, undermine public health and natural security.”

He reiterated the commitment of the government of Nigeria to implement the recommendations in partnership with international and domestic stakeholders.

At the launch of the Toolkit, the UNODC Officer-in-Charge, Mr. Danilo Campisi, emphasised the urgency of implementing the Toolkit’s recommendations, citing key data and research trends. The 2023 Organised Crime Threat Assessment for Nigeria and the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report both highlight the severe depletion of Rosewood in Nigeria, noting that the CITES ban on rosewood exports may have come just in time to prevent the species’ extinction.

Representative of the European Union Delegation, on his part, noted that the EU considers Nigeria a priority country to support counter-wildlife crime interventions.

He advised that the recommendations in the report should be taken seriously by the Office of the Minister of Environment, Conservator General of the National Parks Service and other security agencies. He pledged the EU’s support to continue to provide knowledge, skills and wider capacity to combat wildlife crimes in Nigeria.

A recent report showed that Nigeria boasts a diverse range of ecosystems teeming with a wide variety of wildlife. This natural wealth is the result of climatic variations within the country that create a range of habitats that support more than 1,340 species of animals, including 274 mammalian species.

This makes Nigeria the country in Africa with the eighth-highest number of different animal species. Among the prominent wildlife species are the West African lion (although only 30–50 adult lions are remaining in Kainji Lake National Park and Yankari Game Reserve), pangolin, leopard, spotted hyena, African forest elephant, African savannah elephant, Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee, Cross

River gorilla and, historically, black rhino. Unfortunately, many of these iconic species are under severe threat owing to poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat loss. Nigeria is also blessed with abundant flora, including extensive mangrove forests, vast tropical grasslands, and savannah. The tree species Pterocarpus erinaceus, known as kosso or West African rosewood, holds great value and is the most traded species of tropical wood globally. The government and citizens of Nigeria have a great task to preserve this great heritage and pass it on as legacy to our children. The International Consortium for Combatting Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit for Nigeria – the ICCWC Toolkit Report has provided the needed impetus, it is however hoped it would be implemented with all seriousness not only for the survival of wildlife but also for the sustenance and survival of Nigerians.