SUB COMMITTEE ON WILDLIFE TAKES OFF IN ABUJA

A sub-committee setup to manage seized Wildlife specimen has taken off with a mandate to among other things, ensure proper handling and preservation of seized Wildlife specimen.

The Sub Committee on Management of Wildlife Seizures, was inaugurated as part of efforts to end Wildlife crimes in Nigeria and also put a stop to the use of the country as a transit route by traffickers. It is Chaired by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA and has various Agencies and public sector organisations as members. 

At the inaugural meeting of the sub-committee, the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, Prof. Aliyu  Jauro told the team  that Nigeria was on track to reduce Wildlife trafficking, adding that collaboration among all relevant agencies has aided the success story.

He said, “NESREA being the CITES Enforcement Authority carries out her functions through collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies including international Organisations, NGOs and CBOs to ensure that Wildlife crimes in Nigeria are brought to barest minimum.”

Nigeria is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES. The country ratified the convention in 1974 and its enforcement started in 1985 after the enactment of the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act Cap 2016 as amended. The frontline Wildlife regulation being enforced is the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International trade) Regulations 2011 S.I. NO 16

The Agency is the designated Authority for the enforcement of CITES in Nigeria. While saluting the efforts of NESREA in living up to the task, the Director General of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, FRIN, Prof. Shola Adepoju who was also at the meeting said, “The challenges of environment are getting bigger every day, and NESREA needs the support of all of us”.

The Committee is made up of NESREA, the Nigerian Customs Service, National Park Service, Federal Department of Forestry, INTERPOL, the Judiciary, Nigeria Postal Services, Nigeria Conservation Foundation and the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Others are, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Turkish Airline, Lufthansa airline, MSC Shipping Company, APMT Shipping Line and Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, FRIN.