The Nigerian Government has called for tougher penalties for wildlife crimes, saying inadequate sanctions have contributed to the decline of Nigeria’s wildlife population.
The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal, made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the eighth annual conference of the Wildlife Society of Nigeria (WISON), organised in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS).
Lawal said several wildlife species that were once abundant in the 1960s had either disappeared or become endangered due to bushmeat consumption and indiscriminate killing.
He stressed the need for effective sanctions capable of deterring the illegal killing and trafficking of wildlife, particularly elephants and other endangered species.
The minister also advocated the introduction of wildlife crime studies at the undergraduate level in Nigerian universities, especially in law and other relevant disciplines.
He said many lawyers and judges had limited specialised training in environmental and wildlife-related offences, making early academic exposure important for developing expertise in the field.
Lawal described wildlife as an essential component of Nigeria’s flora and fauna that must be protected for present and future generations.
He urged environmental experts and academics to extend their conservation efforts beyond university campuses by working closely with forest communities, local authorities and other stakeholders.
The minister also identified the media as an important partner in raising public awareness and promoting accurate reporting of wildlife conservation and environmental issues.
He pledged to work with relevant organisations to explore funding opportunities and provide resources to strengthen wildlife conservation and combat environmental crimes.
Lawal cited Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Australia as countries that had made significant investments in wildlife conservation and called for greater support for similar initiatives in Nigeria.
He said effective wildlife protection required coordinated efforts by government, academia, local communities, the media and conservation organisations.
The President of WISON, Prof. Omotola Jayeola, said the society served as a professional voice for wildlife practitioners and advocated policies and guidelines aimed at protecting Nigeria’s natural heritage.
Jayeola said the conference, themed “Human-Wildlife Interactions and Sustainable Protected Area Management”, brought together professionals, practitioners, scientists and civil society organisations to advance wildlife conservation.
He said WISON had intervened when elephants strayed into parts of Oyo State, particularly Saki, by assessing the impact on farmers and engaging relevant government agencies to ensure the animals were protected.
Jayeola commended the NPS and Federal Ministry of Environment for supporting the conference and said WISON would continue to strengthen partnerships while recognising stakeholders contributing to environmental stewardship.
Also speaking, the Conservator-General of the NPS, Dr Ibrahim Goni, called for stronger cooperation among stakeholders to promote sustainable wildlife conservation and effective management of protected areas.
Goni described national parks as important centres of biodiversity conservation but noted that they existed within landscapes shared by communities whose livelihoods depended on natural resources.
He said managing human-wildlife conflicts required identifying their underlying causes, mapping hotspots, improving early-warning systems, developing mitigation measures and promoting alternative livelihoods, alongside the use of technology to strengthen conservation efforts.
