By Miriam Humbe
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry Of Environment has unveiled the sculpture of an elephant crafted from pulverised Wildlife stockpile.
This signalled a climax of the disposal of about six tons of confiscated wildlife stockpiles under the custody of her Agency, NESREA, that is the designated CITES Enforcement Authority in Nigeria.
The Sculpture, a first of its kind in Nigeria, represented the country’s zero-tolerance stance against wildlife trafficking and its dedication to protecting listed endangered species of Wild fauna and flora.
The event marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade, which has been a major threat to the country’s biodiversity and global conservation efforts.
Concerted efforts by NESREA and sister Agencies such as the Nigerian Customs Service led to the arrest of several suspects between 2011 and 2023.
185 bags of pangolin scales weighing 3991 Kg, 11 bags of crocodiles and other listed reptiles, leopard skins and feathers weighing 102Kg and 2500Kg of ivory were recovered from the suspects and kept in the custody of NESREA.
In October 2023, the seized pangolin scales and other animal skins were incinerated by NESREA and this was followed by the crushing of the confiscated ivory in January 2024.
Both exercises were carried out with the support of Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation (EPIF) of United Kingdom and the United States Embassy in Nigeria.
Unveiling the statue crafted from the residue of pulverized confiscated stockpiles, the Minister of Environment, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, officially christened it the ‘Giwa Statue of Renewed Hope’.
Salako reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to eradicate wildlife trafficking in Nigeria.
He called on Nigerians to support the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking by providing intelligence, discouraging animal poaching and refusing to use products that are not ethically sourced.
The Minister said: “We need wildlife for our survival, well being and prosperity as they maintain ecological balance, maintains the food chain and they keep us connected to nature”.
Director General of NESREA, Dr. Innocent Barikor said: “This Elephant sculpture symbolizes Nigeria’s commitment to zero tolerance to Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) at all levels, and a proof to CITES communities that Nigeria has not relented in carrying out its obligations to the international environmental conventions and promotion of eco-tourism.”
NESREA is a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Environment charged with the mandate to enforce all environmental laws, policies, guidelines, standards and regulations as well as to enforce compliance with the provisions of multilateral environmental Agreements, Protocols, Conventions and Treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.
