The non-governmental organisation Wild Africa has commended the successful passage of the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024, describing it as a major step in combating wildlife crime in Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos by Mr. Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative of Wild Africa.
The bill, which has already passed both chambers of the National Assembly—the House of Representatives in May and the Senate on Tuesday—is now awaiting the President’s assent.
Iyorah explained that the legislation updates existing wildlife laws, increases penalties for wildlife crimes, and strengthens investigative powers for financial tracking and intelligence-led operations. It also empowers judges to fast-track wildlife cases, recover assets from offenders, and promote international cooperation through extradition and alignment with global treaties.
He noted that Nigeria has in the past decade become a significant hub for trafficking ivory and pangolin scales to Asian markets, citing the smuggling of over 30 tonnes of ivory since 2015 and more than half of global pangolin scale trafficking between 2016 and 2019.
Environmental organisations have praised the development, calling it a decisive step against organised wildlife trafficking.
Mr. Terseer Ugbor, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and sponsor of the bill, described it as a “huge win for Nigeria,” emphasizing that it will protect the nation’s forests and wildlife from exploitation while safeguarding the environment for future generations.
Mr. Tunde Morakinyo, Executive Director of the Africa Nature Investors Foundation, said the law marks a historic milestone. He explained that traffickers had long used Nigeria as a transit route for illegal wildlife trade to Europe and Asia, tarnishing the nation’s reputation, and added that the new law positions Nigeria as a leader in wildlife protection across Africa.
Mary Rice, Executive Director of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) UK, described the legislation as a milestone demonstrating Nigeria’s commitment to ending wildlife crime. She urged full implementation, stressing that effective enforcement is crucial for prosecuting offenders and ensuring long-term environmental protection.
Peter Knights, CEO of Wild Africa, expressed hope that the President would promptly sign the bill into law ahead of the UN CITES meeting in November in Uzbekistan, highlighting Nigeria’s global commitment to fighting wildlife crime.
Wild Africa, the Africa Nature Investors Foundation, EIA UK, and other partners—including the Pangolin Conservation Fund, UK Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, and the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs—have long supported Nigeria’s anti-trafficking efforts.
The EIA, through the EU-funded GUARD Wildlife Project, will assist in enforcement to ensure proper implementation of the new law.
With Senate approval now secured, the bill awaits presidential assent to strengthen Nigeria’s actions against wildlife crime.
