Nigeria Going Through Wildlife Crisis, Lost Over 70% Of Elephants, Pangolins To Illegal Trafficking, Poaching | Sahara Reporters

According to Wild Africa, Nigeria’s elephant population has plunged from an estimated 1,200–1,500 animals in 1991 to only about 300–400 today.

Nigeria’s worsening wildlife crisis has come under renewed scrutiny following the premiere of Wild Africa, with the new pan-African series exposing the country’s loss of more than 70 per cent of its elephant population and its emergence as a major global transit hub for illegal ivory and pangolin scale trafficking.

The 13-part wildlife conservation series premiered on Saturday, August 15, 2026, brings the continent’s growing wildlife crisis into Nigerian homes while documenting efforts by conservationists, rangers, veterinarians and communities to protect endangered species.

According to Wild Africa, Nigeria’s elephant population has plunged from an estimated 1,200–1,500 animals in 1991 to only about 300–400 today.

The conservation organisation said that Nigeria has also become a major transit route for illegal wildlife products, with the country accounting for nearly a quarter of seized ivory globally and more than half of global pangolin scale seizures between 2016 and 2019.

The alarming figures highlight the scale of Nigeria’s conservation crisis as endangered animals continue to face threats from poaching, illegal trafficking and the destruction of their natural habitats.

According to Wild Africa, the magazine-style programme on Channels TV seeks to bring these threats to a wider African audience, combining short documentaries, interviews, celebrity wildlife experiences and studio segments to tell stories about Africa’s threatened species and the people working to save them.

Across its 13 episodes, Wild Africa said it travelled through several African countries to spotlight conservation efforts involving some of the continent’s most endangered wildlife.

The programme features sea turtle rescue operations in Nigeria, elephant conservation in Nigeria and Kenya, efforts to protect the rare Cross River gorilla, community rangers safeguarding Namibia’s desert rhinos, Rwanda’s mountain gorillas and bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The organisation said Nigeria received particular attention in the series, with episodes highlighting the country’s dwindling forest elephant population, manatee and sea turtle rescue efforts, forest protection initiatives and the campaign to save the pangolin.

Wild Africa noted that Pangolins are widely regarded as the world’s most trafficked mammal, with their scales and meat driving illegal international trade.

Peter Knights OBE, Series Producer and CEO of Wild Africa, said protecting wildlife was crucial not only for Africa’s natural heritage but also for economies and jobs dependent on tourism.

“Africa has the greatest wildlife spectacle on the planet, which is the attraction for 80% of visiting tourists,” Knights said.

“So wildlife preservation is vital for African economies and jobs as well as natural heritage. It’s time to celebrate the people that take on this daunting task and we hope the series informs and entertains in equal measures.”

Also, Ofua said bringing conservation stories to mainstream Nigerian television was important because public understanding of wildlife could influence efforts to prevent further losses.

“Africa has extraordinary wildlife, but many of these species are disappearing before people have had the opportunity to truly know them,” he said.

“Wild Africa brings these stories into our homes in a way that is entertaining, relatable, and hopeful. We want Nigerians, especially young people, to see that wildlife is part of our heritage and that every one of us has a role to play in protecting it.”

Linus Unah, West Africa Director at Wild Africa, said the premiere marked an important step towards making wildlife conservation part of Nigeria’s mainstream public conversation.

“This series is a remarkable effort to help us understand and appreciate everything being done to protect our wildlife and their habitats,” Unah said.

He added that the programme should remind Nigerians of their responsibility to protect the remaining wildlife and natural habitats for future generations.

With Nigeria’s elephant population already reduced to a fraction of its former size and the country serving as one of the major routes in the international trafficking of ivory and pangolin scales, the programme seeks to intensify public scrutiny of the country’s wildlife protection efforts and the networks driving the illegal trade.