Often described as the world’s most trafficked mammals, pangolins are relentlessly hunted for their scales—prized in traditional Asian medicine—and for their meat, which is treated as a luxury delicacy in some markets.
A conservation advocacy group, Wild Africa, has sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s prominent role in the global pangolin trafficking network, disclosing that over 500,000 pangolins have been lost to illegal trade in under a decade.
In a statement marking World Pangolin Day 2026, issued by its Nigeria Representative, Festus Iyorah, the organisation pressed for urgent legal reforms to stem the growing crisis.
Wild Africa urged the administration of Bola Tinubu to accelerate the passage and assent of the proposed Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill, warning that continued delays could edge the species closer to extinction.
Often described as the most trafficked mammals on earth, pangolins are targeted for their scales—highly valued in parts of Asia for traditional medicine and for their meat, which commands premium prices in certain markets. Despite protections under international treaties and domestic laws, illegal demand continues to fuel widespread poaching and trafficking across Africa.
Data cited by Wild Africa shows that Nigeria accounted for 55 percent of global pangolin scale seizures between 2016 and 2019, cementing its status as a major export and transit hub supplying Asian markets.
“Nigeria is a custodian of precious biodiversity, yet our pangolins are being trafficked toward extinction. This World Pangolin Day, we must choose to make history for the right reasons,” said Dr. Mark Ofua, the group’s West Africa spokesperson. He described the pending conservation bill as a potential turning point that would impose stiffer penalties on traffickers and demonstrate Nigeria’s resolve to combat wildlife crime.
The renewed advocacy follows the release of a global assessment titled Conservation Status, Trade and Enforcement Efforts for Pangolins, published at the close of 2025. The report estimated that 530,978 pangolins were implicated in 2,222 illegal trade seizures worldwide between 2016 and 2024, with scales accounting for 99 percent of all confiscated parts.
Compiled by experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission Pangolin Specialist Group for the CITES Secretariat, the study drew on submissions from 32 CITES Parties, including 15 pangolin range states. It noted that although international commercial trade in pangolins was banned in 2016, persistent demand for scales and meat continues to drive exploitation across Africa.
The report called for stronger legal safeguards, improved population monitoring, and deeper community engagement to dismantle poaching and trafficking networks.
Nigeria has taken steps in recent years to address wildlife crime. Lawmakers introduced the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill in early 2024, proposing tougher sanctions, higher fines, longer prison terms, and enhanced coordination among enforcement agencies. However, the legislation still awaits presidential assent.
Wild Africa maintained that fast-tracking the bill would plug existing loopholes exploited by traffickers and bolster Nigeria’s capacity to prosecute organised wildlife crime syndicates.
Regional cooperation is also gaining traction. In partnership with the IUCN Species Survival Commission, West African governments have launched the West Africa Regional Pangolin Conservation Action Plan (2026–2056), the first coordinated conservation strategy of its kind in the region. The initiative seeks to harmonise enforcement efforts, strengthen research and monitoring, and empower local communities within pangolin habitats.
Despite escalating trafficking, enforcement agencies have recorded notable successes. In December 2024, the Nigeria Customs Service arrested a suspected pangolin scale broker and seized 2.179 tonnes of scales—equivalent to roughly 1,100 pangolins. Since July 2021, customs authorities and partner agencies have carried out 16 operations, leading to 35 arrests, 12 convictions, and the confiscation of more than 21 tonnes of pangolin scales.