The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has signed an agreement with the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) to help protect wildlife in Nigeria.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday at NESREA’s office in Abuja by NESREA’s Director General, Professor Innocent Barikor, and WJC’s Chief of Investigations, Stephen Carmody. This deal will help both groups work together to fight international criminal groups that illegally trade wildlife, fish, and timber.
Professor Barikor said the agreement will improve how the two groups share information, work together on investigations, and support future wildlife protection programs in Nigeria.
He explained that the agreement supports Nigeria’s promise to protect endangered animals and plants under an international law called CITES. He added that the Nigerian government is serious about saving wildlife and making sure future generations can enjoy it.
Barikor also said NESREA is ready to work closely with WJC to stop Nigeria from becoming a place where wildlife traffickers operate or pass through. He said they want to make it harder for criminals to harm the environment.
WJC’s Executive Director, Olivia Swaak-Goldman, said this new partnership will give new energy to wildlife protection efforts in Nigeria.
She said working with NESREA and the Nigerian Wildlife Law Enforcement Task Force will help strengthen their efforts. This will help Nigeria remain a leader in using intelligence to catch wildlife criminals.
The agreement shows that both NESREA and WJC are serious about stopping wildlife crimes, breaking up criminal networks, and protecting endangered species from extinction.
