Following concerns that the illegal killing and trade in vulture parts are pushing vulture populations towards extinction, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has called for urgent and coordinated action to protect the country’s rapidly declining species.

Research indicates that Nigeria has become a major hub for the regional trade, with an estimated 73 per cent of vulture carcasses traded across West Africa passing through Nigerian markets.

Of the seven vulture species found in Nigeria, four are classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. They are the Hooded Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Rüppell’s Vulture and White-headed Vulture.

The situation is particularly severe for the Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus), once a common sight around Nigerian cities and abattoirs. Its population has declined by an estimated 95 per cent since the early 2000s.

The West African Vulture Conservation Action Plan (WAVCAP) identifies Nigeria and Benin as key hubs for cross-border vulture trade. Cases of vulture killing for belief-based uses have also been reported across the 16 countries covered by the plan.

Conservationists said the transboundary nature of the trade means protecting Nigeria’s vultures will require stronger cooperation among countries, law enforcement agencies, conservation organisations and local communities.

Across Africa, vulture populations have declined by between 80 and 97 per cent over the past five decades, with several species now facing extinction.

Vultures provide an important ecological service, although they are often misunderstood because of their association with death. By rapidly consuming carcasses and organic waste, they help keep the environment clean and limit the spread of diseases from dead animals to humans and wildlife.

“The crisis facing vultures is not happening somewhere far away. Nigeria is at the centre of this regional conservation challenge, including the illegal trade in vulture parts,” NCF Director-General, Dr Joseph Onoja, said.

“We cannot continue to lose these birds to poisoning, illegal killing and trafficking and expect our ecosystems to remain healthy.”

Onoja urged the Federal Government to strengthen enforcement of existing wildlife protection laws and intensify monitoring of markets involved in the illegal vulture trade.

He also called for the implementation of the adopted WAVCAP, establishment of Vulture Safe Zones, stronger measures to prevent poisoning and protection of key feeding and breeding areas.

The foundation said these measures must be supported by collaboration among government agencies, conservation organisations, traditional medicine practitioners, communities and neighbouring countries, particularly Niger, Benin and Cameroon.

It noted that tackling the crisis requires action across the entire chain, from research and monitoring to demand reduction. Onoja said the foundation had already engaged traditional medicine practitioners to promote awareness of vultures’ ecological role and encourage plant-based alternatives for belief-based practices.

He added that the NCF was conducting satellite tagging, population surveys, conservation education and community engagement to map threats and build local support for vulture protection.

“We are calling on Nigerians to reject the purchase or use of illegally sourced vulture parts, avoid patronising wildlife traders and report suspected wildlife crimes to the relevant authorities,” Onoja said.

He expressed the foundation’s commitment to working with government, communities, researchers, traditional institutions, law enforcement agencies, conservation organisations and other stakeholders to halt the decline of Nigeria’s vultures and secure a future in which the birds continue to perform their vital ecological role across the country.