A non-governmental organisation against poaching and smuggling of wildlife, Wild Africa Fund, over the weekend, said 55 per cent of pangolin scales seized worldwide between 2016 and 2019 were linked to Nigeria.
In a press statement to celebrate the World Pangolin Day, the spokesman, Wild Africa Fund’s West Africa, Dr. Mark Ofua, said Nigeria is currently being used as an export hub for trafficking pangolin scales.
According to him, leading personalities from the realms of music, comedy, sports, and business have come together to shine a spotlight on the need to address the devastating impacts of the illegal wildlife on pangolins.
The campaign, spearheaded by Wild Africa Fund and supported by a wide array of Nigerian media organisations, has brought together a stellar lineup of renowned Nigerian personalities including 2Face, Davido, Ali Baba, Emanuella, Alex Iwobi, Josh2Funny and several other celebrities who have committed their voices and influence to amplify the escalating threats posed by the illegal wildlife trade, particularly on pangolins.
“By leveraging the power of public figures and the influence they wield, this campaign aims to turn the tide for pangolins and make Nigeria a regional leader in fighting wildlife crime,” Dr. Ofua said.
Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, partly because their scales are in great demand for use in traditional medicine in Asia.
As pangolin populations in Asia have declined, shipments from Africa have greatly increased to meet soaring demand. According to the Wildlife Justice Commission, 55 per cent of pangolin scale seizures worldwide between 2016 and 2019 were linked to Nigeria.
A recent survey of 1,000 Nigerians conducted by Lagos-based Market Surveys International found that 88 percent are aware of Wild Africa Fund’s campaign with 97 percent of people aged 10-17 years reporting that they remember the campaign. Additionally, 86 per cent said they would no longer kill or consume because of learnings from the campaign and 31 per cent said they have stopped consuming bushmeat due to the campaign. Furthermore, 91 per cent signified their intention to substitute bushmeat with other sources of protein like chicken, fish, and meat from goat, cattle and turkey.
The impact and reach of the campaign could be attributed to several factors, including increased coverage of wildlife issues by Nigerian news organisations, Wild Africa Fund’s widely-seen public service announcements featuring Nigerian celebrities as well as several other engaging content like Dr. Mark’s Animal Show which targets kids and teenagers and has been broadcast by several TV channels in Nigeria, including Silverbird TV, StarTimes, and Teen Africa TV.
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