COVID-19 Crisis, Wildlife Trafficking and Environmental Governance in Nigeria

Abstract

Illegal wildlife trade and wildlife trafficking are global environmental risks which is underscored not just by its convergence with other serious crimes but by the cross-border and trans-boundary nature of the crime, and its implications in many global health problems. The COVID-19 crisis, currently estimated to have been contracted from bats by humans through an intermediate host such as a pangolin, has propelled the global health implications of wildlife trade onto the global stage, thereby questioning global and national environmental governance structures to combat illegal wildlife trade and trafficking. Through a literature-based desk review, this paper appraises international environmental regulation such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES); wildlife regulatory governance in Nigeria such as The Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act and their implications in the current global pandemic. It finds that weak legal systems, lack of enforcement capacity, high corruption levels and insufficient coordination, knowledge, and capacity are among the critical drivers of this crisis. It recommends legal and policy prioritization and effective environmental governance with regards to combatting wildlife trafficking as a panacea for present and future pandemics.