Nigeria's landmark Wildlife Protection Bill poised to disrupt global trafficking networks

Daily Maverick

2 days ago

After passing its third reading in Nigeria's House of Representatives, the Wildlife Protection Bill promises the most ambitious overhaul of environmental law in west Africa's history – and may strike a major blow to global wildlife crime.
When Dr Mark Ofua's father was a boy, he would sometimes be late to school — not because he was lazy, but because he had to wait for herds of elephants to finish crossing the road. That was only a generation ago. 'I grew up in the same community,' says Ofua, a Nigerian wildlife veterinarian, 'and there is not a single elephant left.'
On 28 May, Nigeria took a critical step toward preventing more such losses. Its House of Representatives passed the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024 through its third reading. The Bill now moves to the Senate, with widespread support and expectations of speedy passage before the year ends.
It's a historic move for the country and, according to experts, for all of west Africa.
Nigeria has become a major global hub for wildlife trafficking. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), the country has been linked to the smuggling of more than 30 tonnes of ivory since 2015 and more than 50% of the pangolin scales seized globally between 2016 and 2019. These products often flow through Nigeria from countries across west and central Africa and are exported to Asia.
'It all comes back to Nigeria,' says Ofua, who helped draft the Bill. 'Traffickers bring ivory and pangolin scales from all over West Africa — even the Congo — and ship it out from Nigeria. If we can change the game here, we can change the game for the whole region.'
Until now, wildlife crime in Nigeria has thrived under toothless legislation. According to Ofua, previous laws carried fines so paltry — less than a dollar in some cases — that traffickers saw them as little more than business costs. 'I would rather traffic elephant tusks, pay the fine when caught, and continue,' he says. 'There were no jail terms. No deterrents.'
Enforcement agencies, too, were limited. Some parts of the older legislation were adapted directly from international trade laws and didn't even cover domestic wildlife crimes. Even when seizures occurred, prosecutions frequently collapsed due to delays, undertrained judges or corruption. 'Cases would drag for years, until the person in charge retired, got transferred or died,' Ofua recalls.
Perhaps most demoralising of all were the scenes of impunity. 'You would see Nigerian police escorting foreign buyers into wet markets to purchase illegal wildlife products,' says Ofua. 'How do you convince the sellers it's a crime when the law enforcers themselves are involved?'
New era for Nigeria's biodiversity
Sponsored by Terseer Ugbor, the deputy chair of the House Committee on Environment, the legislation dramatically strengthens Nigeria's response to organised wildlife crime. In Ugbor's words, '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.'
The Bill includes:
Stricter penalties, including custodial sentences of up to seven years and proportionate financial penalties for minor and major infractions;
Asset forfeiture provisions, allowing courts to recover profits gained through wildlife crime;
Environmental reparations, such as tree-planting and other restoration efforts;
Expanded investigative powers, enabling law enforcement to conduct intelligence-led probes and track financial transactions;
Faster judicial processes, aimed at ending the prolonged legal stagnation of wildlife cases; and
Alignment with international treaties, including Cites and the UN conventions on corruption and organised crime.
'It's a beautiful piece of legislation,' says Ofua. 'It addresses all the loopholes. It empowers investigators. It brings in financial tracking. And it puts teeth in the judiciary.'
The Bill has drawn praise from major conservation organisations. Tunde Morakinyo, the executive director of Africa Nature Investors Foundation, called it 'a testament to Nigeria's firm commitment to strengthening wildlife governance and combating trafficking.' EIA's Mary Rice said it 'demonstrates Nigeria's commitment to regional security and tackling international trafficking networks'.
Peter Knights, the CEO of Wild Africa, said: 'This is a great step forward for Nigeria to lead the region in combating wildlife crime.'
Enforcement readiness
Even the best law is only as strong as its implementation. But Ofua is optimistic. 'I have consulted for the Ministry of Environment and customs for over a decade,' he says. 'In the last year or two, I've seen a high level of readiness and commitment.'
Recently, he participated in a groundbreaking event: the release of two pangolins into a national park after they were seized at an airport. 'That had never been done before,' he notes. 'Customs officials brought them to me for rehabilitation and we released them together. That's the new Nigeria we want.'
Ofua says customs is currently working with Wild Africa and training new canine units for ports and borders.
'Until now, agencies were shackled by bad laws. But this new Bill clearly spells out their roles and promotes inter-agency cooperation. Once it's passed, they'll be free to act.'
The urgency is clear. Nigeria, like many parts of west Africa, has suffered catastrophic biodiversity loss. 'We used to have cheetahs, rhinos, even the Big Five,' says Ofua. 'In just one generation, much of it has vanished.'
He believes this legislation is the beginning of a long-overdue shift. 'I've been to southern and east Africa. It's like a spiritual recharge seeing wildlife thrive. But here in west Africa, we've been left behind. This Bill could change that.'
The next steps are Senate ratification and presidential approval. So far, the process has been unusually smooth, especially for Nigeria, where some environmental Bills have languished for more than 15 years.
'This Bill has not met any opposition yet,' says Ofua. 'The delays were only because of other national emergencies like flooding and security issues. But with the level of support we're seeing, I believe it will become law before the end of the year.'
And when it does, the ripple effects could be felt across the continent.
'This is Nigeria's chance to lead,' says Ofua. 'If we rise, others will follow. And maybe, one day, our children will see elephants again — not in books, but in the wild.' DM