Senate approves Bill to fight wildlife trafficking

Nigeria’s Senate has approved the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, a comprehensive piece of legislation designed to curb wildlife trafficking, enhance enforcement powers, and align the country’s laws with global environmental treaties. The Bill, which passed the House of Representatives in May, now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent to become law, reports Business Day Nigeria. The measure represents the most significant overhaul of Nigeria’s wildlife protection framework in nearly four decades. It is widely viewed by environmental advocates as a turning point for one of Africa’s largest economies and one of its most notorious wildlife trafficking hubs. The new legislation updates the outdated Endangered Species Act, modernising penalties, expanding investigative powers and providing mechanisms to target the financial underpinnings of illegal wildlife trade. Under the Bill, investigators will be authorised to probe financial transactions, conduct intelligence-led operations and trace the proceeds of wildlife crime. Judges will be empowered to fast-track wildlife-related cases, impose stiffer penalties, and order the seizure of assets derived from illegal activity. The law also strengthens international co-operation by harmonising Nigeria’s legislation with global conventions such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, enabling cross-border investigations and the extradition of offenders. Environmental policy experts say these provisions will close long-standing legal loopholes that traffickers have exploited to evade prosecution or operate with impunity.

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