Stakeholders in the Environment Sector have validated the reviewed National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in Domestic and International Trade) Regulations 2011 in a bid to endorse stiffer penalties for wildlife crimes in the country.

The validation workshop which took place Wednesday in Abuja, was organized by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, (NESREA) with the support of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC).

Addressing the stakeholders, the Director General of NESREA, Prof. Aliyu Jauro said the Regulation which was developed in the year 2011 had undergone the review to accommodate emergent trends in illegal wildlife trade and plug the necessary regulatory and enforcement gaps.

Prof. Jauro said, “NESREA’s enforcement efforts in recent times have not been fully maximized in the combat of Illegal Wildlife Trade due to gaps observed in some of our legislations especially the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in Domestic and International Trade) Regulations 2011.

Speaking in the same vein, the National Programme Officer for UNODC, Mrs. Folusho Adelekan bemoaned the use of Nigeria as a transit hub for wildlife trafficking, saying that “Wildlife crime is a form of organized crime and sentences should match the gravity of the crime.”