The Nigerian Senate has passed the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against wildlife trafficking and habitat destruction. The Bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives in May 2025, will now be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for his assent.
The new legislation strengthens existing wildlife laws, introduces stricter penalties for offenders, and grants enhanced powers to investigators to track financial transactions and conduct intelligence-led operations. It also empowers judges to fast-track wildlife crime cases and recover assets from offenders, while fostering international cooperation through alignment with global treaties and the extradition of suspects.
“This is a huge win for Nigeria, and it shows, without any doubt, that we remain committed to stamping out wildlife trafficking and protecting our unique fauna and flora,” said Terseer Ugbor, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and sponsor of the Bill. Ugbor added that the legislation represents a turning point for environmental protection in Nigeria.
“Stronger laws mean Nigeria’s forests and wildlife will now be protected from exploitation and criminal activities.
“We are proud to see this bill move forward because protecting wildlife is tantamount to safeguarding our environment and our future,” he said.
Over the past decade, Nigeria has emerged as a major hub for the trafficking of ivory and pangolin scales to Asian markets. Reports have linked the country to the smuggling of over 30 tonnes of ivory since 2015, and more than half of all pangolin scales trafficked globally between 2016 and 2019.
Environmental groups have hailed the passage of the Bill as a critical step toward reversing this troubling trend.Tunde Morakinyo, Executive Director of the Africa Nature Investors Foundation (ANI), described the development as “momentous.”
“For too long, traffickers have used Nigeria as a transit country for the illegal wildlife trade, bringing endangered wildlife from all over Africa through our porous borders, ports, and airports to export them illegally to Europe and Asia. “The Bill aims to halt this shameful trade, which is destroying our environment and ruining Nigeria’s global reputation. “We salute the Nigerian Senate for taking this bold step, which will make Nigeria a global leader with one of the most progressive wildlife laws for the African continent,” Morakinyo stated.
Mary Rice, Executive Director of the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency UK (EIA UK), commended the passage of the Bill as a “significant milestone.”
“The passing of this key piece of legislation is a demonstration of the country’s commitment to transitioning from a hub for wildlife crime to a leader in the fight against it. Congratulations to all those who have worked tirelessly on this journey,” Rice said.
She emphasised that implementation would be crucial, adding, “EIA believes firmly that long-term, sustainable change is the key to tackling environmental crime, and it is imperative that this law is now implemented and used by investigators, prosecutors, and the judiciary to bring wildlife traffickers and other environmental offenders to justice.”
Peter Knights, CEO of Wild Africa (WA), urged the President to sign the Bill swiftly. “We hope the President will move quickly to sign this bill. The UN CITES meeting on trade in endangered species meets at the end of November in Uzbekistan, and to have this bill enacted before then would be a tremendous feather in the President’s and the country’s caps,” Knights noted.
The ANI, EIA UK, and Wild Africa have supported Nigeria’s anti-trafficking efforts through partnerships funded by the Pangolin Conservation Fund, the UK Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, and the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Implementation of the law will also be strengthened under the GUARD Wildlife Project, funded by the European Union. With Senate approval secured, the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024, now awaits presidential assent, an action that would formally position Nigeria as a regional leader in the global fight against wildlife crime and environmental degradation.
