LOCAL PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES: AN ASSESSMENT OF BUSHMEAT MARKETS IN LAGOS.

 

“Did you know that right now, over 40,000 species around the world are at risk of extinction? From majestic tigers and gentle elephants to tiny frogs and rare orchids — life on Earth is disappearing at an alarming rate. These are not just numbers. Each species plays a unique role in the web of life — and when one vanishes, the entire ecosystem feels the impact.”

 

 

Tropical rainforests are the best-known type of rainforests and are the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystem in the world and covering about 3.6% of the earth’s surface, with the second largest in Africa as the Congo Basin. African Rainforests are species-rich and occur in two main rainforest blocks – West/Central and East Africa. However, they are less diverse than other tropical rainforested regions such as the Neotropics and South East Asia. (Brée et al., 2020)

 

Bushmeat, the meat of wild animals, is one of the most valuable tropical rainforest products after timber, and it’s an important source of protein widely consumed as it has been a part of the local diet for centuries.  According to Davies 2002, national estimation of the value of the domestic trade in bush meat ranges from US$42 to US$205 million across countries in West and Central Africa. The level of exploitation and consumption varies by location, but availability has been identified as a major driver; however, other drivers include but are not limited to government control on hunting, socio-economic status and cultural prohibitions. Overexploitation of natural resources, which includes Illegal Wildlife Trade, is  now a major concern as it might be an even bigger driver of biodiversity loss than climate change, hence biodiversity conservation is a  global priority. One of the forms of this crime is wildlife trafficking, which has sharply increased during the last decade (ONUDC, 2013, Banjade et al., 2020).

 

In Nigeria, although the Nigerian government has, over the years, promulgated many environmental protection laws, including the Endangered Species Acts of 1985, “which prohibits capturing, killing, and trading in certain species of wild animals whose population is either threatened or endangered”, with relevant sanctions for the violators, hunting of wild animals has continued unabated.  More recently, on Wednesday May 28, 2025, the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill 2024 successfully passed its final and third reading in the House of Representatives in Nigeria and has been passed to the Senate for concurrence. This bill will enhance Nigeria’s response to serious ad organized wildlife trafficking and introduce stricter penalties for wildlife crime.

 

A preliminary investigation was conducted in selected local markets in Lagos. Primary results indicate the presence of various species of bushmeat in the markets. It was evident that Maxwell duiker/Etu (Cephalophus maxweli), Grasscutter/Oya (Thryonomys swinderianus), Giant rat/Okete (Cricetomys gambianus), Mona monkey/Obo (Cercopithecus mona), Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), and Hyrax/Ofafa (Dendrohyrax dorsalis) were available in the various markets. In the next few weeks, this inquiry will be concluded, and the full list of animals found in the markets will be presented and categorised based on the IUCN list.