The Nigerian Senate has passed the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024, marking a major step towards strengthening the nation’s legal framework against wildlife trafficking and environmental crimes. The Bill, which had earlier scaled through the House of Representatives in May 2025, will now be transmitted to the President for assent.
In a statement made available to journalists in Lagos, Mr. Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative of Wild Africa, said the Bill represents a landmark reform for environmental governance in the country.
He explained that the legislation “updates existing wildlife laws, increases penalties for wildlife crimes, and grants investigators greater authority to trace financial transactions and conduct intelligence-led operations.”
According to Iyorah, the Bill also empowers judges to fast-track wildlife crime cases, recover offender assets, and strengthen international collaboration through compliance with global treaties and the extradition of offenders.
He highlighted that Nigeria has over the years become a major transit hub for the illegal trade of endangered species, especially ivory and pangolin scales destined for Asian markets. “Nigeria has been linked 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,” he noted.
The sponsor of the Bill and Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Mr. Terseer Ugbor, described the passage as a victory for Nigeria’s environmental protection efforts.
“This is a huge win for Nigeria and shows, without any doubt, that we remain committed to stamping out wildlife trafficking and protecting our unique fauna and flora,” Ugbor said.
He added that “stronger laws mean Nigeria’s forests and wildlife will now be protected from exploitation and criminal activities. Protecting wildlife is tantamount to safeguarding our environment and our future.”
The Executive Director of Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, Mr. Tunde Morakinyo, hailed the development as a turning point for Nigeria’s reputation in global conservation efforts.
“Traffickers have used Nigeria as a transit country for illegal wildlife trade for too long. This Bill aims to halt the shameful trade that destroys our environment and ruins Nigeria’s image,” he said. “We salute the Senate for taking this bold step, which will make Nigeria a continental leader in wildlife protection.”
Similarly, Mary Rice, Executive Director of Environmental Investigation Agency UK (EIA UK), described the Bill’s passage as “a significant milestone that demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to shifting from a wildlife trafficking hub to a regional leader in conservation.”
She commended all stakeholders involved in pushing the legislation forward. “EIA is proud to have supported these efforts and remains committed to assisting Nigeria in ensuring that this law is implemented and enforced by investigators, prosecutors, and the judiciary,” she said.
Also commenting, Peter Knights, CEO of Wild Africa, urged the Presidency to prioritise prompt assent to the Bill ahead of the UN CITES meeting on trade in endangered species, scheduled for next month in Uzbekistan.
“We hope the President will move quickly to sign this Bill. Having it enacted before the CITES meeting would be a tremendous achievement, showing Nigeria’s leadership in the global fight against wildlife crime,” he stated.
The Bill has enjoyed strong backing from leading environmental organisations including Africa Nature Investors (ANI), EIA UK, and Wild Africa, with support from the Pangolin Conservation Fund, UK Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, and the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
