The Nigerian Senate has passed the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, 2024, marking a major step in the country’s fight against wildlife trafficking and environmental crime. The bill will now be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The development was disclosed in a statement signed by Mr. Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative of Wild Africa, and made available to journalists in Lagos. According to him, the bill had earlier been passed by the House of Representatives in late May 2025.
The legislation updates Nigeria’s decades-old wildlife laws, introduces stiffer penalties for wildlife crimes, and empowers investigators with greater authority to trace financial transactions linked to illegal wildlife trade. It also strengthens intelligence-led operations and enables asset recovery from offenders.
The bill further empowers judges to fast-track wildlife-related cases and encourages international cooperation by aligning Nigeria’s wildlife regulations with global treaties, including provisions that support the extradition of offenders involved in cross-border trafficking networks.
Nigeria has in the last decade become a major transit hub for trafficking of endangered species, particularly ivory and pangolin scales. Reports link the country to over 30 tonnes of smuggled ivory since 2015, and more than half of the pangolin scales trafficked globally between 2016 and 2019.
Environmental advocates have hailed the Senate’s approval as a historic move. Mr. Terseer Ugbor, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and sponsor of the bill, described it as “a huge win for Nigeria.”
“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,” he said.
Also reacting, Mr. Tunde Morakinyo, Executive Director of Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, said the bill would help dismantle trafficking networks that have used Nigeria as a transit point for illegal wildlife trade to Asia and Europe.
“This momentous day has been several years in the making. The bill aims to halt this shameful trade which is destroying our environment and damaging Nigeria’s global reputation,” he stated.
Mary Rice, Executive Director of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) UK, described the legislation as a “significant milestone” in Nigeria’s environmental governance.
Peter Knights, CEO of Wild Africa, urged the President to sign the bill into law swiftly, noting the upcoming UN CITES conference in Uzbekistan at the end of November.
“Enacting this law before the conference would demonstrate Nigeria’s leadership in tackling wildlife crime,” he said.
The statement noted that ANI, EIA UK, and Wild Africa have been key partners in supporting Nigeria’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking. Other organisations that contributed include 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.
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It added that implementation of the law, once signed, will be supported through Project GUARD Wildlife, funded by the European Union.
With Senate approval secured, the bill now awaits presidential assent to become law and pave the way for tougher prosecution of wildlife traffickers, protection of endangered species, and the preservation of Nigeria’s natural ecosystems.
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