7 March 2011: Nigeria is currently subject to a recommendation by the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals (CITES) to suspend all trade in CITES-listed wildlife (Rec/2005/038).

However, the Nigerian Government has been making substantial progress in drafting new legislation, training officials, monitoring outlets where wildlife may be traded, and raising public awareness of CITES.

The CITES Secretariat visited Nigeria from 1-4 March 2011, to engage with government officials in targeted capacity-building activities. Secretariat staff attended a two-day workshop in Kano, northern Nigeria, with more than 70 participants from a range of agencies involved in CITES implementation and enforcement. Specialized presentations included the identification of CITES specimens, particularly ivory, and participants engaged in a practical exercise to detect fraudulent CITES documents. Participants also carried out inspections of markets in Kano and Lagos. These activities form part of a range of agreed actions that will need to take place before the Standing Committee’s recommendation can be withdrawn.

The Secretariat will report on this issue to the Standing Committee when it meets in Geneva in August 2011. [CITES Press Release]