The Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation has issued a renewed call for immediate action to combat the illegal wildlife trade in Nigeria, warning that the country has become a major global transit hub for trafficking endangered species.
In collaboration with the National Park Service, ANI emphasized the urgent need to strengthen conservation efforts, citing Nigeria’s alarming role in the illicit wildlife trade, which has grown into the world’s fourth-largest illegal industry.
In a statement released in Jalingo, Taraba State, on Wednesday, ANI revealed that Nigeria’s weak legislation, poor enforcement, lack of resources, and inadequate training have fueled the smuggling of ivory, pangolin scales, and rosewood from West and Central Africa to international black markets. These findings align with ANI’s 2022 report, which underscored the country’s vulnerabilities in tackling wildlife crimes.
Signed by ANI’s Executive Director, Tunde Morakinyo, the statement highlighted the dire threat faced by pangolins, particularly the white-bellied and giant pangolin species, which are under severe risk of extinction in Nigeria. Morakinyo stressed that while white-bellied pangolins are frequently spotted during ranger patrols in Gashaka National Park, more data is needed to assess their population and distribution accurately.
Pangolins, often called the “silent guardians of the ecosystem,” play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by controlling insect populations, aerating the soil, and aiding forest regeneration through seed dispersal. However, their numbers are rapidly declining due to climate change, habitat destruction, and rampant poaching. The demand for pangolin scales, meat, and body parts—driven by myths of medicinal benefits—continues to accelerate their disappearance.
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Morakinyo lamented that Nigeria is home to three pangolin species—the giant pangolin, white-bellied pangolin, and black-bellied pangolin—all of which are facing existential threats due to human activities.
Conservation organizations, including Pangolin Conservation Nigeria, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the Federal Ministry of Environment, are actively working to protect these endangered species and strengthen wildlife conservation laws.
ANI leadership is advocating for a more robust legal framework and intensified enforcement to combat poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. The foundation called on policymakers to implement stricter penalties and increase funding for conservation initiatives, stressing that urgent action is needed to prevent Nigeria from becoming a permanent hub for global wildlife crime.
