Nigeria is home to two confirmed otter species, the African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) and the Spotted-necked Otter (Lutra maculicollis), while the Congo Clawless Otter (Aonyxcongicus) has been reported from areas along the Nigeria–Cameroon border but has not been conclusively confirmed within Nigeria. Available records indicate that both confirmed species occur across a wide range of ecological zones in the country, extending from the coastal wetlands and rainforest ecosystems of southern Nigeria to the Guinea and Sudan savannah regions of the north.
The African Clawless Otter has been documented from locations including Calabar, Gashaka-Gumti, Kainji Lake National Park, Borgu Game Reserve, Lake Chad Basin, Maiduguri, and Zaria as well as additional southern localities such as Itu, the Orashi River, Abarikpo, Tombia, and Orubiri. Similarly, the Spotted-necked Otter has been recorded in freshwater habitats across Cross River State, the Niger Delta region, and northern Nigeria, including the Oban Hills, Otari, Soku-Elem Sangama, Maiduguri, and Lake Chad. More recent field studies have further confirmed the continued presence of otters in southwestern Nigeria, particularly in Ondo State, through direct sightings and field evidence.
Current evidence indicates that otters are still widely but patchily distributed across Nigeria’s freshwater ecosystems, occurring in rivers, streams, wetlands, swamps, mangrove creeks, and riverine forests, with confirmed records across multiple ecological zones, although comprehensive nationwide surveys are still required to fully determine their population status and distribution patterns.
Salami Olalekan Michael of the Nigeria Otter Network is turning fishermen into freshwater protectors across Nigeria(IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group; Nigeria Otter Network).Community-based conservation of otters in Nigeria has gained momentum following sustained awareness and research initiatives led by the Nigeria Otter Network and the IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group. The initiative traces back to 2018, when a coastal conservation programme organized by Netlink Environmental Conservation Organization in Ilaje, Ondo State, highlighted the presence of otters in riverine communities. Subsequent academic research focused on the distribution, threats, and human-wildlife conflicts involving Spotted-necked Otters and manatees in Ondo State. Field studies conducted from 2020 to 2021 across riverine communities documented significant local ecological knowledge of otters. Findings indicated widespread negative perceptions due to reported damage to fishing nets and predation on trapped fish. Physical evidence included live sightings of Spotted-necked Otters, skulls of both Spotted-necked and African Clawless Otters in community possession, and otter meat offered for sale in local markets. Reports also noted the existence of cross-border trade routes to Benin Republic. In response to identified threats, conservation advocacy and environmental education programmes were initiated within affected communities.
In 2022, funding from the International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) facilitated the establishment of the Team Otter Club. The programme trains students in citizen science and freshwater ecosystem monitoring. Participants continue to submit field reports on conservation-related issues. To date, conservation outreach has engaged over 3,000 individuals, including fishermen, farmers, students, market vendors, and government officials. Activities have extended beyond Ondo State to Osun State, Abuja, and various online platforms.
Presentations on otter ecology and freshwater conservation have been delivered at local and international conferences. Related programmes have been featured in university publications and radio broadcasts marking World Environment Day.
The work received the 2023 IOSF Oscar Award for Community Service. Technical and logistical support has been provided by IOSF, IUCN, Africa Otter Network, and Idea Wild. The Nigeria Otter Network was established to coordinate conservation of otters and freshwater habitats nationwide.
His current research is focused on environmental determinants of otter habitat selection in Ondo State. Planned objectives include expanding volunteer conservation networks to additional riverine states and promoting the inclusion of otters in national biodiversity conservation frameworks.
In 2023, he received the IOSF Oscar Award under the Community Service category, which encouraged me to do even more for conservation in my communities. In the same year, and also won the African Otter Competition grant, which enabled me to carry out a community-based otter conservation project where local people were trained and supported with alternative livelihood initiatives.
Driven by my passion for freshwater conservation, I later founded the Nigeria Otter Network with the aim of promoting the conservation of otters and freshwater ecosystems in Nigeria. Over the years, the group received both technical and financial support from IOSF, the IUCN, Africa Otter Network (AON), and IdeaWild, which provided conservation equipment such as a drone, laptop, binoculars, GPS device, and life jackets to support my work.
Our conservation education activities have gradually expanded beyond Ondo State to Osun State, Abuja, and several online platforms.
He has also had opportunities to speak at both local and international conferences, where they presented talks and posters on otter ecology, freshwater conservation, and wildlife conservation in Nigeria. He wasalso one of the speakers during the IOSF World Otter Day Webinar in 2025.
In year 2026, he has been very remarkable for the team in Nigeria. They organized World Otter Day activities to sensitize students and communities around the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria. The events received massive commendations, and our activities were featured on the University’s Facebook page.
We were also invited to speak during a radio programme to discuss otters while celebrating World Environment Day, and the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology featured our programmes in their AGROTECH newsletter and ECOLINK newsletter. Furthermore, also received a message through Facebook from someone who rescued a Spotted-necked Otter and was about to release it into the wild, and provided technical and ecological guidance on the rescue and release process. Since then, we have continued to receive more collaboration opportunities and requests from media organizations to contribute articles and discussions on otter conservation.
Through our conservation initiatives over the years, we have reached more than 3,000 individuals, including fishermen, farmers, students, market women, and government officials. Currently, pursuing research focused on understanding the environmental determinants of otter habitat selection in Ondo State, Nigeria. Looking ahead, my goal is to expand conservation outreach and build more volunteer networks across other riverine states where otters occur in Nigeria.
Furthermore, hope to contribute to the recognition and inclusion of otters in Nigeria’s biodiversity conservation plans and continue serving as a voice for these iconic species that say so much about the health of freshwater ecosystems, yet remain poorly understood by many people.