Nigeria’s Wildlife Protection Bill passes final reading in Reps

A bill for the protection of endangered wildlife species in Nigeria passed its third and final reading in the House of Representatives on Wednesday and is set to be sent to the Senate for concurrence.

The bill, dubbed “Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024,” among several other provisions, aims to enhance Nigeria’s efforts to curb organised wildlife trafficking in the country.

It also includes stricter penalties for wildlife crime and provides investigators with more powers to probe financial transactions and conduct proper due diligence during their operations.

Commenting on the development, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and sponsor of the bill, Terseer Ugbor, explained that by modernising Nigerian laws, the National Assembly wants to ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from the ecological and economic value of the country’s biodiversity.

“This bill sends an unambiguously clear message that Nigeria will not tolerate the use of its borders for trafficking of illegal wildlife products, such as pangolin scales and ivory, to foreign markets,” the lawmaker said.

“Seizures and arrests”

Over the last decade, Nigeria has emerged as a key destination, a leading source and a transit point for wildlife trade amid weak laws and enforcement. Due to its porous borders, corruption, transport links to Asia, and poor law enforcement, wildlife traffickers have made Nigeria a key exit point for ivory smuggled from Africa to Asia.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), between 2009 and 2017, almost 30 metric tonnes of seized ivory, and in 2019, at least 51 metric tonnes of seized pangolin scales, originated in Nigeria.

The federal government made its largest seizure of pangolin scales in January 2020, after officials recovered 9.5 metric tonnes of scales worth an estimated N10.6 billion ($25.9 million). In 2021, the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted 18.7 metric tonnes of elephant tusks, rhino horns, pangolin scales and claws at various exit points across the country.

In February 2022, it seized 145 kilogrammes (320 pounds) of elephant tusks and 840 kg (1,852 lbs) of pangolin scales at a notorious market in the affluent Lekki district of Lagos. Meanwhile, an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES and Mongabay in 2022 found evidence of systematic failure by law enforcement and the judiciary to hold wildlife poachers and traffickers accountable.

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As of November 2023, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity and an essential tool used to inform conservation action and policy, assessed 5,213 species in Nigeria.

Of this figure, 503 (10 per cent) species were classified as threatened— critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable—and 162 (3 per cent) as “data deficient.”

Comments

On Wednesday, representatives of environmental groups within and outside the country lauded the move by the government to scale up conservation efforts in the country by strengthening its laws.

In a statement signed by Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative, Wild Africa, on Wednesday in Lagos, the group reiterated that the historic Bill enhances Nigeria’s response to “serious and organised” wildlife trafficking, and introduces stricter penalties for wildlife crime.

“It also seeks to empower judges to expedite wildlife cases and recover assets while also promoting international collaboration by aligning with global treaties,” the statement said.

Mr Iyorah quoted the sponsor of the Bill, Mr Ugbor, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, as saying that the bill would not tolerate the use of its borders for trafficking of illegal wildlife products.

In his remarks, Executive Director of Africa Nature Investors Foundation, Tunde Morakinyo, described the bill as a testament to Nigeria’s firm commitment to strengthening wildlife governance, combating wildlife trafficking, and positioning itself as a leader in conservation.

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“The lawmakers and leadership of the House of Representatives deserve commendation for their vision, dedication, and commitment to this crucial step towards protecting Nigeria’s environment and its wildlife,” he said.

On her part, the Executive Director of London-based Environmental Investigation Agency UK (EIA UK), Mary Rice, welcomed the progress made through the bill’s third reading.

“EIA commends the work of Nigeria’s lawmakers in continuing to support this important legislation, which demonstrates the country’s commitment to ensuring regional security and tackling the scourge of international trafficking networks,” she said.