The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has called for urgent and coordinated action to halt the decline of Nigeria’s vulture population, warning that illegal killing, trafficking and trade in vulture parts could push the birds towards extinction.
The foundation, on Saturday September 5, in a statement marking the 2026 International Vulture Awareness Day, said four of the seven vulture species found in Nigeria are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. They are the Hooded, White-backed, Rüppell’s and White-headed vultures. NCF said the Hooded Vulture alone has suffered an estimated 95 per cent population decline since the early 2000s.
NCF Director-General, Dr Joseph Onoja, said Nigeria is at the centre of the regional conservation challenge, with an estimated 73 per cent of vulture carcasses traded across West Africa passing through Nigerian markets. He urged Nigerians to reject illegally sourced vulture parts, avoid patronising wildlife traders and report suspected wildlife crimes to the authorities.
The foundation also called for stronger enforcement of wildlife protection laws, tighter monitoring of markets, implementation of the West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan, establishment of Vulture Safe Zones and measures to prevent poisoning.
NCF stressed that vultures are vital to healthy ecosystems because they rapidly remove animal carcasses and help reduce the spread of disease. It also added that it was conducting satellite tagging, population surveys, conservation education and community engagement to protect the species.
Leave a comment