Nigeria Accounts for 55% Global Pangolin Scale Seizures – Group

Nigeria has been linked to 55 per cent of global pangolin scale seizures between 2016 and 2019, positioning the country as a major exporter and transit hub for pangolin scales destined primarily for Asian markets.

This disclosure was made by Wild Africa, a non-governmental organisation, as the world marks World Pangolin Day.

The organisation called for urgent measures to prevent the extinction of pangolins, widely regarded as the world’s most trafficked mammals.

Despite protections under national and international frameworks including the 2016 global ban on international commercial trade under CITES pangolins continue to face severe threats.

Their scales are heavily sought after in parts of Asia for traditional medicine, while their meat is considered a delicacy in some regions.

Speaking, West Africa spokesperson for Wild Africa, Dr Mark Ofua, described Nigeria as “a custodian of precious biodiversity” but warned that pangolins are being trafficked into extinction.

“This World Pangolin Day, let’s make history for the right reasons,” Ofua said, stressing that the speedy passage of the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill would strengthen Nigeria’s conservation framework and reinforce its commitment to biodiversity protection.

A new global report titled Conservation Status, Trade and Enforcement Efforts for Pangolins, released at the end of 2025, revealed that more than 530,978 pangolins were implicated in 2,222 illegal trade seizures between 2016 and 2024. Pangolin scales accounted for 99 per cent of all confiscated parts.

The report was prepared by experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group for the CITES Secretariat, drawing on data submitted by 32 CITES parties, including 15 pangolin-range states.

It found that demand for pangolin scales and meat continues to fuel exploitation across Africa despite international trade bans. The report recommended stronger legal protection, improved population monitoring, and deeper engagement with local communities to curb trafficking.

Nigeria has taken steps in recent years to tackle illegal wildlife trade. In early 2024, the federal government introduced the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, which proposes tougher penalties for trafficking wildlife products. The bill is currently awaiting presidential assent.

Additionally, West African governments, in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission, unveiled the first-ever West Africa Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan (2026–2056) aimed at coordinating protection, monitoring, and community engagement across the region.

In December 2024, the Nigeria Customs Service arrested a suspected pangolin scale broker and seized 2.179 tonnes of pangolin scales, estimated to represent about 1,100 pangolins.

Since July 2021, the agency and its partners have conducted 16 operations, resulting in 35 arrests and 12 convictions, with a total seizure of 21.582 tonnes of pangolin scales.

The chief executive officer of Wild Africa, Peter Knights, warned that pangolins’ slow reproduction rates and lack of natural defenses make them particularly vulnerable.

“With few natural predators and slow reproduction rates, pangolins cannot sustain human exploitation.

Recent changes to reduce the use of scales in China should help, but we need more public awareness and better enforcement in Africa if they are to survive,” he said.

Conservationists say pangolins remain under-studied and under-protected, with rising trafficking posing an existential threat.