Economic Implications of Trade in Wildlife: From Legality to Illegality

Illegal trade in wildlife has caused the decline of many species in Nigeria, Africa and the world. Illegal killing, smuggling and other forms of illicit trade in wildlife do not only hurt the economy and the ecosystem, but they also fuel organised crime as well as feed corruption and insecurity, undermining the sustainable development of the country. Wildlife in Nigeria is under pressure as most endangered species, are traded both domestically and internationally. Nigeria is not only a source of wildlife products but has also emerged as a major transit country for wildlife trafficking according to the current World wildlife Crime Report. Using a literature-based review, this paper critically examines the legality and illegality of wildlife trade in Nigeria in line with the provisions of extant laws and how this scenario has grossly hampered global efforts toward combating wildlife trafficking. It proffers amendment of the text of extant laws to reflect the intents and global aspirations to curb this scourge and preserve biodiversity for posterity. It further advocates global partnerships efforts to strengthen enforcement capacity to investigate and prosecute offenders.