By Abdullahi Lukman
Wild Africa has called on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to protect pangolins from extinction and fast-track the passage of stronger wildlife protection laws.
The group said that although pangolins are protected under national regulations and international agreements — including a 2016 ban on international commercial trade under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — the species remains under severe threat from illegal trafficking driven by demand for their scales and meat.
According to Wild Africa, Nigeria has emerged as a major global hub in the illegal pangolin trade, accounting for 55 percent of global pangolin scale seizures between 2016 and 2019.
Data cited by the group indicate that more than 530,000 pangolins were linked to 2,222 illegal trade seizures recorded worldwide between 2016 and 2024, with scales making up 99 percent of confiscated parts.
A recent report titled Conservation Status, Trade and Enforcement Efforts for Pangolins, prepared by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group for the CITES secretariat, found that demand for pangolin scales and meat continues to fuel exploitation across Africa despite trade bans.
The report drew on submissions from 32 CITES parties, including 15 pangolin range states, and called for stronger law enforcement, improved monitoring and deeper community engagement.
Wild Africa’s West Africa spokesperson, Mark Ofua, urged swift presidential assent to Nigeria’s Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, introduced in early 2024, which proposes tougher penalties for wildlife trafficking.
The bill is currently awaiting final approval.
The organization acknowledged recent enforcement gains. In December 2024, the Nigeria Customs Service seized 2.179 tonnes of pangolin scales — representing about 1,100 pangolins — and arrested a suspected trafficking broker.
Since July 2021, authorities have conducted 16 operations resulting in 35 arrests, 12 convictions and the seizure of over 21 tonnes of pangolin scales.
Regional cooperation is also expanding. West African governments, alongside the IUCN Species Survival Commission, have launched the first West Africa Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan (2026–2056) to coordinate monitoring, protection and community engagement efforts.
Despite these steps, conservationists
warn that pangolins — the world’s most trafficked mammals — reproduce slowly and cannot withstand sustained human exploitation.
Wild Africa said World Pangolin Day highlights the urgent need for stronger enforcement, public awareness and legislative action to prevent the species’ extinction.