(Posted 30th October 2024)
Courtesy of African Elephant News and Helen Oji, Blueprint
Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said Nigeria requires a decisive legislation to stem poaching in the country.
He made this known while declaring open a day public hearing on the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill recently in Abuja.
The hearing was organised by the House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements.
Abass noted that, between 2016 and 2019, more than half of pangolin scales seized globally came from Nigeria.
According to him, in January 2019, Hong Kong Customs seized $8 million worth of elephant tusks and pangolin scales from a shipping container from Nigeria.t
He noted that Nigeria had become the world’s most significant transit point for illegal ivory and pangolin scales smuggled from Africa to Asia.
He quoted a conservationist that said, Nigeria currently has less than 500 elephants, 100 Cross River gorillas and about 50 lions left.
Abbas added that pangolins were presently endangered on the brink of extinction.
He said that the decline was due to habitat loss, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, and climate change, all of which, he said, had added another layer of complexity to the challenges faced by these already vulnerable species.
According to him, the loss of biodiversity weakens the country’s ecosystem resilience, thus making it more susceptible to environmental disturbances.
He explained that the rate at which species across Nigeria are facing extinction is a stark reminder of the urgent need for a decisive legislative action to halt this negative trend
The speaker said that the same situation was applicable to crocodiles and antelope species, rats and duikers, which are widely available in ‘bush meat’ markets across the country.
“This bill, therefore, is not merely a legislative exercise; it is a critical step towards fulfilling our moral obligation to protect the environment and preserve the legacy of these invaluable species for future generations.
It seeks to establish a robust legal framework that will address the multi-faceted challenges threatening our endangered animals and plants, such as illegal wildlife trade by imposing stringent penalties on those involved in the trafficking of the endangered species.
It seeks to promote sustainable wildlife management through the establishment of conservation areas and the implementation of community-based conservation initiatives. amongst others.’
Responding, Chairman of the committee, Rep. Rebiu Yusuf, described the bill as a critical step in the collective efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s biodiversity.
Yusif said that it was to protect endangered species and ensure the sustainable management of Nigeria’s precious natural resources, while also fulfilling its international commitments.
He said that the bill sought to establish strict legal protection for species listed under the CITES Appendices as well as endangered and migratory species identified under the CMS.
“It criminalises illegal trade, poaching, and trafficking of protected species, with penalties designed to serve as effective deterrents.
The bill provides for the establishment of enforcement bodies with the mandate to ensure compliance with wildlife conservation laws.’
