Nigeria unveils findings and recommendations of ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit

Abuja – September 20, 2024: Wildlife and forest crime is a serious and growing problem. Recently, Nigeria has become a major transit point for the trade in illegal wildlife products, including pangolin scales, ivory and other protected species from East and Central Africa. These products enter the country through porous land borders and use Nigeria’s advanced maritime and airport infrastructure. To address these challenges, in 2019 the Government of Nigeria requested support from the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) to implement the Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit and the ICCWC Indicator Framework for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime.

The ICCWC Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit enables a comprehensive assessment of a country’s preventive, law enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial responses to wildlife and forest crime. It assesses data systems, processes and demand for wildlife and identifies strengths and gaps in current responses. The Toolkit provides short- and long-term recommendations to address key challenges and provides authorities and ICCWC with an evidence base to improve national responses to wildlife and forest crime. The results are compiled into a comprehensive report, which informs the development of specific work plans for national capacity building and technical assistance.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has finalized the findings of the ICCWC Toolkit Assessment for Nigeria. The report outlines 33 recommendations to strengthen Nigeria’s wildlife criminal justice system. Key recommendations include:

• Support for the Endangered Species Protection and Conservation Bill 2024
• Scaling up joint wildlife investigations through a joint investigation team including the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the INTERPOL National Central Bureau and anti-money laundering agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)
• Setting up a nature crime unit within the Federation Public Prosecution Service Directorate
• Strengthening capacity building in wildlife forensics
• Providing operational and technical resources and skills to frontline enforcement authorities

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Environment has endorsed the ICCWC Toolkit report and UNODC will support the implementation of the recommendations. The report was launched at an event in Abuja on Friday 20 September 2024.

The Honourable Minister of Environment, represented by the Director of Planning and Research, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria, noted that while Nigeria has taken several proactive steps to combat wildlife crime, much more needs to be done as wildlife crime is a complex transnational problem that requires a multifaceted approach. He reiterated the commitment of the Government of Nigeria to implement the recommendations in collaboration with international and domestic stakeholders.

UNODC Officer-in-Charge, Mr. Danilo Campisi, stressed the urgency of implementing the Toolkit’s recommendations, citing key data and research trends. The 2023 Organised Crime Threat Assessment for Nigeria and the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report both highlight the serious depletion of rosewood in Nigeria, noting that the CITES ban on rosewood exports may have come just in time to prevent the species’ extinction.

The representative of the delegation of the European Union noted that the EU considers Nigeria as a priority country to support interventions against wildlife crime. He advised that the recommendations in the report should be taken seriously by the office of the Minister of Environment, Conservator General of the National Parks Service and other security agencies. He pledged the support of the EU to continue to provide knowledge, skills and broader capacity to combat wildlife crime in Nigeria.

In closing, the Director of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria, Hajara Sami Umar, expressed the appreciation of the Government of Nigeria to the International Consortium for Combatting Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), which comprises INTERPOL, UNODC, World Bank, World Customs Organization and the CITES Secretariat, noting that the toolkit assessment conducted under their guidance has provided Nigeria with critical insights and actionable recommendations to strengthen the national response to wildlife and forest crime. She noted that the ICCWC’s collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria is highly appreciated and the government looks forward to continuing the partnership into the implementation phase.

The report can be found here.