The federal government and conservationists have taken steps to protect elephants in Nigeria, if measures to that effect as contained in the National Elephant Action Plan (NEAP), are anything to go by.
Dr Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Environment, who unveiled the document yesterday (Tuesday, August 13) in Abuja, the FCT, said it is targeted at protecting Nigeria’s natural resources and wildlife, emphasizing that NEAP is designed to be a tool for planning and monitoring elephant conservation measures.
Salako said it would also serve as a framework for the strategies and decision- making of all relevant government institutions, donors agencies and NGOs.
A 10-year strategic plan (2024-2034), developed to ensure the long-term survival of elephants in Nigeria, NEAP, Salako enthused, is another step in the determination of the government to continue to protect Nigeria’s natural resources and wildlife.
According to him, elephants in Nigeria have suffered 86 per cent population decline over the last 30 years, with the population of elephants in the country estimated at only about 400 as at 2021.
“There can be no more appropriate time for this occasion than now, considering the worrisome revelation and recent incidents of captures and killings of elephants in some parts of the country in 2023.
“These are in addition to other numerous threats, including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching,” he said.
Also speaking, Sharon Ikeazor, former Minister of State for Environment and Chairperson of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) Leadership Council, said the African elephant is more than just an iconic species.
“We can foster a culture of conservation that will support the objectives of this action plan and reduce human-elephant conflicts.
“We can ensure that our elephant populations are protected and continue to thrive whilst also enhancing the economic benefits of elephant conservation for our people who live in and around their habitats,” she said.
Earlier, Mahmud Kambari, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, had said that NEAP is a testament of the Federal Government’s dedication to safeguarding the iconic species (the Elephants).
He reaffirmed the commitment of the government to a sustainable future where humans and wildlife co-exist harmoniously.
Also speaking, Andrew Dunn, the Nigeria Country Director, Wildlife Conservation Society of Nigeria (WCS), said one of the objectives of the plan is to ensure that all elephants are protected by 2034.
He said that saving Nigeria’s last elephants would require more than just funds, stressing the need for a significant change in attitude at all levels and a paradigm shift by Federal and state governments. (NAN)
