ABUJA/Nigeria: The Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024, has passed its third and final reading in Nigeria’s House of Representatives and is now headed to the Senate for concurrence, marking a significant milestone in the country’s fight against wildlife trafficking.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday by Mr. Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative of Wild Africa.
According to Iyorah, the groundbreaking Bill is designed to bolster Nigeria’s response to organised wildlife trafficking by introducing more stringent penalties for offenders and expanding enforcement capabilities.
“It provides investigators with greater authority to probe financial transactions and conduct intelligence-led operations,” the statement said. “It also seeks to empower judges to expedite wildlife cases and recover assets while aligning Nigeria’s efforts with global conservation treaties.”
Iyorah cited the sponsor of the Bill, Mr. Terseer Ugbor, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, who stated, “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.”
Ugbor added that the legislation aims to protect the ecological and economic value of Nigeria’s biodiversity, which has come under increasing threat. “By modernising our laws, we want to ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from our natural heritage,” he said.
Iyorah noted that Nigeria has gained global notoriety as a major transit hub for the illegal trade of wildlife products, including more than 30 tonnes of ivory since 2015 and over half of the world’s seized pangolin scales between 2016 and 2019.
The Bill’s advancement has received praise from key environmental stakeholders, who say it represents a decisive step in halting illegal wildlife trade and strengthening conservation governance.
Tunde Morakinyo, Executive Director of Africa Nature Investors Foundation (ANI), said, “The steady progress of this bill is a testament to Nigeria’s firm commitment to strengthening wildlife governance, combating wildlife trafficking, and positioning itself as a leader in conservation.”
Echoing this sentiment, Mary Rice, Executive Director of the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA UK), applauded the lawmakers for backing the legislation. “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.”
Peter Knights, CEO of Wild Africa (WA), also praised the development. “This is a great step forward for Nigeria to lead the region in combatting wildlife crime,” he said.
Iyorah noted that ANI, EIA UK, and Wild Africa have consistently partnered with the Nigerian Government on anti-trafficking initiatives. These efforts have been supported by international donors, including the UK Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Pangolin Conservation Fund.
The Bill will now proceed to the Nigerian Senate for further legislative consideration. If passed, it will be sent to the President for assent, officially enshrining it into law.
