US embassy cable - 04LAGOS128

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000128 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2014 
TAGS: SENV, PBTS, ECON, NI, CITES 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA:  A THRIVING MARKET IN IVORY 
 
Classified By: Consul General Robyn Hinson-Jones for reasons 1.5B and D 
 
. 
 
1.  (C) EST&H officer met on December 16 with a reluctant 
Deputy Director of Environment and Conservation, M. M. Omar 
(Protect) to discuss illegal trade in ivory in Nigeria as 
reported in a December 15, 2003 BBC article entitled, "West 
Africa's Ivory Trade Thrives".  According to Deputy Director 
Omar (a former IV grantee), Nigeria's air and seaports once 
had several regulatory agencies in place to monitor illegal 
exports of ivory.  Now, however, the agents have been removed 
because higher authorities reportedly found that air 
passengers had to traverse too many checkpoints and sometimes 
missed their flights.  He stated that a new law, currently 
under review, will add penalties and other features not 
addressed in the current law, and should go a long way toward 
reducing the illegal trade in ivory. 
 
2.  (C) The Deputy Director thought controlling ivory 
entering Nigeria from abroad was key.  He did not rule out 
illegal ivory finds in Nigeria nor would he name suspected 
cities where it is sold saying only that most of the tusks 
were not Nigerian.  However, a December 2003 report by the 
NGO, Traffic, stated that 40% of the illegal trade occurs in 
Lagos with other major markets in Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano and 
to a lesser extent in Benin City, Onitsha and Port Harcourt. 
An informal survey by EST & H officer of two markets in Lagos 
showed merchants openly displaying and selling ivory.  Ivory 
is reportedly a favorite commodity of diplomats and others 
from America, China, Italy, Japan and Korea according to 
Traffic.  Further, Chinese and Lebanese buy processed and raw 
ivory in bulk for shipment out of Nigeria.  Omar stated that 
Nigeria has many more than the 543 elephants the BBC said are 
living in its' national parks, but the exact number is 
unknown.  According to Traffic, Nigeria has 478 elephants in 
the definite category, 340 in the possible category with 
another 300 in the speculative category. 
 
3. (C) Capacity building inside Nigeria and at the ports of 
entry is taking place, but Omar commented that the Ministry 
should move slowly to ensure that personnel are not only well 
trained but also honest and committed to their jobs. 
Environment classes are now part of Nigeria's university 
curricula and there is a School of Wildlife, so there is a 
considerable pool of unused but trained manpower.  The 
Ministry of Environment is working with conservation groups 
and other partners on building capacity and writing the new 
conservation law. 
 
4.  (C) Although he wanted to be more forthcoming, the Deputy 
Director stated that all information of a political nature 
involving the ivory trade must come from the Minister of the 
Environment or Permanent Secretary, and that as a civil 
servant, he could only address technical issues.  During an 
interruption in the meeting, Omar was told that he had 
another "international visitor" waiting.  He said he hoped it 
was not another call about the ivory trade because the issue 
has attracted added urgency since the above mentioned BBC 
news report. 
 
5.  (U) Background:  Nigeria became a party to the Convention 
on International Trade in  Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
and Flora (CITES) in 1975.  It enforces the Convention 
through its domestic Endangered Species Decree 11/1985 (now 
an act of the National Assembly), which addresses the 
issuance of import, export, re-export permits and 
certificates involving the trade and/or traffic in wild 
animals, plants and products.  One of the major obstacles to 
enforcement of the current and future law is the lack of 
coordination between implementing agencies.  According to the 
Traffic report, between 1989 and 2003 Nigeria was connected 
to 400 illegal seizures worldwide.  Based on its past 
problems, Nigeria must show compliance with Resolution Conf. 
10.10 (Rev.) by March 2004 or risk the suspension of trade in 
CITES listed species in and out of Nigeria. 
 
 
 
HINSON-JONES