– Advertisement –
Wild Africa has called on the Nigerian government to protect pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammals, from extinction and expedite efforts to update national legislation safeguarding them.
Despite being protected by national and international laws, such as the 2016 ban on international commercial trade, pangolins face extinction due to high demand for their scales, which are used mainly in Asia for traditional medicine, and for their meat, considered a delicacy. Nigeria has become a key global exporter and a significant source of pangolin scales for Asian markets. It was associated with 55 per cent of pangolin scale seizures worldwide from 2016 to 2019.
“Nigeria is a custodian of precious biodiversity, but our pangolins are being trafficked into extinction. This World Pangolin Day, let’s make history for the right reasons,” said Dr Mark Ofua, Wild Africa’s West Africa spokesperson.
“The speedy passage of the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill is the game-changer that will cement Nigeria’s commitment to conservation and secure a future for these unique creatures that our country is blessed with.”
In addition, it is reported that more than half a million pangolins, an estimated 530,978 individuals, were involved in 2,222 illegal pangolin trade seizures between 2016 and 2024. Pangolin scales accounted for 99 per cent of all confiscated parts.
The new global report Conservation Status, Trade and Enforcement Efforts for Pangolins, released at the end of 2025, provides the most up-to-date review of pangolin conservation status and legal and illegal trade.
The report was prepared by experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group for the CITES Secretariat, using information submitted by 32 CITES Parties, including 15 pangolin-range States. It shows that demand for pangolin scales and meat continues to drive exploitation across Africa despite international trade bans, and highlights the need for stronger protection, improved population monitoring, and effective engagement with local communities.
On its part, Nigeria has taken significant steps to combat the illegal trade of pangolin scales through legislative measures and enforcement. In early 2024, Nigeria introduced the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, which proposes stronger penalties for trafficking in illegal wildlife products such as pangolin scales.
The bill is currently awaiting final presidential signoff. West African governments and the IUCN Species Survival Commission also announced the first-ever West Africa Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan 2026–2056 to coordinate protection, monitoring, and community engagement across several range states.
Furthermore, seizures of pangolin scales and other illegal wildlife products, as well as prosecutions of such cases, are also on the rise. In December 2024, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) arrested a suspected pangolin scale broker and confiscated 2.179 tonnes of pangolin scales, representing approximately 1,100 pangolins. Since July 2021, the NCS and its partners have conducted 16 operations, resulting in 35 arrests and 12 convictions, and have seized 21,582 tonnes of pangolin scales.
Peter Knights OBE, CEO of Wild Africa, says, “With few natural predators and slow reproduction rates, pangolins cannot sustain human exploitation. Recent changes to reduce use of scales in China should help, but we need more public awareness and better enforcement in Africa if they are to survive.”
Pangolins remain understudied and underprotected, and their time is running out. World Pangolin Day highlights the urgent need for governments, conservation organisations, and communities to scale up efforts to protect pangolins and prevent the loss of one of the world’s most extraordinary animals.
