Nigerian govt moves to protect dwindling elephant population

The federal government and conservationists have taken steps to protect elephants in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that measures to that effect contained in the National Elephant Action Plan (NEAP), were unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, who unveiled the document, said that it was targeted at protecting Nigeria’s natural resources and wildlife.
He said that NEAP was designed to be a tool for planning and monitoring elephant conservation measures.

Mr Salako said it would also serve as a framework for the strategies and decision-making of all relevant government institutions, donor agencies, and NGOs.

The NEAP is a 10-year strategic plan (2024-2034) developed to ensure the long-term survival of elephants in Nigeria, he said.

He explained that the inauguration of NEAP was another step in the government’s determination to continue protecting natural resources and wildlife.

Mr Salako said that elephants in Nigeria had suffered 86 per cent population decline over the last 30 years, with the population of elephants in the country estimated at about 400 as of 2021.

“There can be no more appropriate time for this occasion than now, considering the worrisome revelation and recent incidences of captures and killings of elephants in some parts of the country in 2023.

“These are in addition to other numerous threats, including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching,” he said.

Also speaking, Sharon Ikeazor, former minister of state for environment and chairperson of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) Leadership Council, said the African elephant was more than just an iconic species.

“We can foster a culture of conservation that will support the objectives of this action plan and reduce human-elephants conflicts.

“We can ensure that our elephant populations are protected and continue to thrive whilst also enhancing the economic benefits of elephant conservation for our people who live in and around their habitats,” he said.

Earlier, Mahmud Kambari, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment, had said that NEAP was a testament of the federal government’s dedication to safeguarding the iconic species (the elephants).

He reaffirmed the commitment of the government to a sustainable future where humans and wildlife co-exist harmoniously.

Also speaking, the Nigeria Country Director of Wildlife Conservation Society of Nigeria (WCS), Andrew Dunn, said that one of the objectives of the plan was to ensure that all elephants were protected by 2034.

He said that saving Nigeria’s last elephants would require more than just funds, stressing the need for a significant change in attitude at all levels and a paradigm shift by Federal and state governments.

(NAN)