Nigeria has announced its first National Elephant Action Plan, aimed at protecting the country’s endangered elephant population, which has been rapidly declining due to human activities such as poaching.
The plan focuses on reducing illegal killings and trade, preserving elephant habitats, increasing public awareness, and promoting community-led conservation efforts. The initiative seeks to ensure the survival of the remaining elephants in the country.
Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Environment, stated that this plan represents a comprehensive strategy to safeguard wildlife and address the challenges facing Nigeria’s elephant population.
Salako emphasized Nigeria’s increased dedication to conserving its natural resources, highlighting efforts to protect and preserve them. He noted, “We’re focusing on the host communities since elephants live near them. We aim to provide alternative livelihoods through elephant preservation.”
In the past decade, Nigeria has become a significant hub for the illegal wildlife trade, serving as a source, transit, and destination country. Among the most trafficked items are elephant ivory and pangolin scales. The Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation reports that Nigeria is responsible for nearly a quarter of the world’s seized ivory.
Nigeria’s elephant population has been reduced to between 300 and 400 animals, just a quarter of its size three decades ago. The decline is due to poaching, habitat loss, and increased human-elephant conflicts as elephants encroach on farms, leading to more killings.
The National Elephant Action Plan, authored by Andrew Dunn, outlines eight key objectives, including enhancing law enforcement, promoting conservation education, and developing sustainable livelihoods. Dunn described the plan as comprehensive, emphasizing the need to address conflicts between farmers and elephants, which remains a critical challenge.
He stressed the critical role elephants play in Nigeria, saying, “Nigeria without elephants is unimaginable. We must work together to protect our remaining elephants, as their loss would be a tragedy.”
In 2010, all 36 African elephant range states committed to creating strategies to ensure a secure future for elephants across the continent. In April, Nigeria and Cameroon formed a partnership to address cross-border wildlife crimes.
As the world celebrated World Elephant Day on August 12 to highlight the threats facing elephants, Nigerian authorities remarked that the introduction of the National Elephant Action Plan enhances this collaboration.
