By Christiana Ekpa
A member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Terseer Ugbor (APC, Benue) on Monday disclosed that Nigeria has been known as a major global trafficking hub for wildlife in recent years.
The lawmaker, who is also the vice chairman of the House Committee on Environment, equally decried the illegal activities of poachers and smugglers in Nigeria.
He said the illegal activities like poaching and smuggling are a major sabotage to the economy and called for action to stop the trend.
Speaking at a policy dialogue on “the endangered species conservation and protection bill 2024,” Ugbor said the activities of poachers portend grave dangers to the nation’s economy, adding that biodiversity is particularly threatened by the actions of those he called wildlife criminals.
He said further that wildlife crime also fosters corruption, facilitates insecurity and presents opportunities for the spread of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19.
He said: “Nigeria has emerged with the unenviable status as a global hub for wildlife trafficking in recent years, and continues to be considered as one. Nigeria must therefore act swiftly and work to reverse this negative status and threat to our beautiful country and the world.
“The passage of this legislation will mark a major milestone for global conservation efforts and Nigeria’s international image. The passage of this bill will also advance the legislative agenda of the 10th House of Representatives for Nigeria’s environmental sustainability.”
The proposed law, he said aimed to “address threats to biodiversity in Nigeria and across Africa by providing a consistent and strong legal framework to put an end to wildlife trafficking. In doing this, it embodies recommendations made following a consultative and collaborative analysis of relevant Nigerian laws for addressing wildlife trafficking.”
