The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako said Nigeria’s elephant population is severely threatened.
This as the government said Nigeria’s elephant population has crashed from 1,500 to an estimated 300-400.
Salako who said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the launch of a 10-year National Elephant Action Plan, noted that the population of elephants in Nigeria is estimated to be about 400.
He said elephants are critical ecosystem engineers, forest gardeners, and fostering biodiversity.
“In many cultures, they are a source of livelihood sustenance, especially through eco-tourism. Sadly, in our country, they have suffered an 86 per cent population decline over the last 30 years with the population of Elephants in Nigeria estimated to be about 400 as of 2021.
“Nigeria’s elephant population is under severe threat, particularly the small, isolated populations of forest elephants who are believed to reproduce much more slowly than savanna elephants and are even more vulnerable to poaching than previously thought.
“You will agree with me that there can be no more appropriate time for this occasion than now considering the above worrisome revelation and the recent incidences of elephant captures and killings in some parts of the country last year. These are in addition to other numerous threats including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching.”
He added that “As a way out and in line with a key priority agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to unlock our natural resources for sustainable development, the NEAP being launched today, is designed to be inter alia, a tool for planning and monitoring elephant conservation measures and will serve as a framework for the strategies and decision-making of all relevant government institutions, donor agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations.”
The minister stated that the plan will provide the necessary strategic framework for the coordination of all actors involved in elephant conservation and management.
He also noted that the document is designed to be flexible and evolve strategies with new threats, new challenges, and new opportunities.
“It emphasises habitat protection, anti-poaching measures, community engagement, and sustainable management practices thus creating a harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants, ensuring that both can thrive.
“One of the key pillars of the NEAP is community involvement which is apposite to successful conservation efforts. We will therefore be working more closely with communities to develop sustainable livelihoods and community conservation carbon credit schemes that could assist to improve community well-being and consequently reduce activities that are harmful to elephants and their habitats.”
In addition, the action plan, he said, recognises the importance of robust law enforcement and the strengthening of anti-poaching units using a multi-sectoral and collaborative approach.
“We will enhance collaboration with national and international partners to combat wildlife crime and bring perpetrators to justice. By making conservation economically rewarding, leveraging modern technology and intelligence-sharing, we aim to disrupt the illegal wildlife trade networks that threaten our elephants,” he stressed.
Giving the overview of the NEAP document, the Country Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Andrew Dunn disclosed that most elephants left in Nigeria exist in small and isolated forest fragments; and if the current trend continues, they could be wiped out in less than 10 years.
Dunn noted that elephants are competing with people for land and dwindling natural resources.
“NEAP is the last chance for the survival of elephants in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the few countries in Africa that has both savanna elephants and forest elephants. In only 30 years, Nigeria’s elephant population has crashed from 1,500 to an estimated 300-400.
“NEAP is to reduce the illegal killing of elephants, reduce illegal trade in elephant products, maintain all existing inhabitat and restore connectivity, increase awareness of the importance of elephant conservation, improve knowledge and understanding through research, strengthen transboundary conservation, and improve cooperation and collaboration with local communities.
“Nigeria has lost 99 per cent of the original elephant population. The 10-year action plan contains all the actions needed to save elephants in Nigeria,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Elephant Protection Initiative Leadership Council, Sharon Ikeazor said the African elephant is more than just an iconic species, but also a keystone to ecosystems and a symbol of natural heritage.
Ikeazor, who is also a former Minister of State of Environment, said the EPI Foundation was committed to supporting national governments through technical and financial support by developing and implementing their NEAPs for effective elephant protection and conservation on a country-by-country basis.
“This NEAP is multifaceted, involving local communities’ engagement in our conservation efforts. It also has law enforcement, habitat restoration, enhanced ecotourism, and international collaboration. It is also focusing on strengthening our legal framework and ensuring that they are effectively enforced.
“The success of Nigeria’s NEAP hinges on our collective effort, and it is only through sustained partnerships and unwavering dedication that we can achieve our goal. So we must leverage the power of education and public awareness. Changing attitudes and behaviors is crucial if we are to win the fight against poaching and illegal wildlife trade.
“I am confident that with the right education and awareness campaigns, we can foster a culture of conservation that will support the objectives of this action plan and reduce human-elephant conflicts,” she said.
On his part, the Head of Cooperation, the European Union delegation to Nigeria, Ruben Alba restates the EU’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s conservation efforts.
Alba urged the government and other stakeholders to join forces in safeguarding elephants for future generations.