Dataphyte Foundation published a new policy brief on biodiversity in Nigeria titled “Vanishing Heritage: A Policy Brief on Nigeria’s Biodiversity Loss and the Path to Community-Led Recovery.” This brief was produced under the Dataphyte’s Biodiversity Media Initiative, with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN).
The brief consolidates findings from ten (10) field investigations conducted by ten journalists who participated in the Dataphyte Biodiversity Reporting Fellowship. These investigations examined the scale, drivers, and impacts of biodiversity loss across different communities in Nigeria. Key findings from the report highlight multiple threats to biodiversity, including illegal logging, poaching, unregulated farming and extractive activities, uncontrolled development projects, poverty, cultural and market demand for wildlife, weak enforcement of environmental laws, counterterrorism operations, and other human-induced pressures.
One of the findings shows how unemployment is driving deforestation and the depletion of economically and ecologically important tree species such as cotton tree, mahogany, iroko, abura, white afara, black afara, and African breadfruit in Odual and Okomolade communities in Rivers State. Additionally, the report also documents the rapid decline of tree species such as iroko, mahogany, and mango, which were once abundant in the Yangokuchi Forest (also known as the Saimami Forest) located in Rubochi Ward, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) resulting from the poor enforcement of forest protection laws and increasing global demand for timber.
Another investigation reveals how decades of oil spills have contaminated water sources in Ogale, part of Ogoniland, leading to the destruction of natural habitats and the disappearance of aquatic species such as shrimps, catfish, bonga shad, tilapia, and electric fish, which were once common in the area.
In Kano State, the report highlights how vultures are being pushed toward extinction at the Kofar Mazugal abattoir due to a combination of economic hardship, deeply rooted traditional beliefs in the medicinal value of vultures, and weak environmental regulation and enforcement.
Beyond documenting biodiversity loss, the report spotlights community-led conservation efforts across the country. These include the community-driven conservation model implemented by African Nature Investors (ANI) to restore Okomu National Park, as well as the work of Ecoguards in preserving the remains of the Ekuri Rainforest in Cross River State.
The report also examines national and international legal frameworks guiding biodiversity and ecosystem conservation in Nigeria. It assesses their strengths and weaknesses, particularly in terms of enforcement, and reviews the roles of institutions responsible for the implementation. Legal instruments analysed include the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2016–2020), National Forestry Laws and Policies, and the National Drought and Desertification Policy.
The report concludes with expert-driven recommendations on how Nigeria can better harness and protect its rich biodiversity and ecosystems, including strengthening the enforcement of existing environmental and forestry laws, ensuring that statutory provisions, such as those contained in Akwa Ibom State’s forest protection law, are consistently and effectively applied.
Download the full report here
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