Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziak Salako, has revealed that he now has an elephant as a member of his family.
The minister said he took the decision to adopt an orphaned elephant as his contribution to the conservation of the critically endangered species and to protect the remaining 300-400 elephants in Nigeria.
Salako who made this known at the launch of the Nigeria Elephant Action Plan (NEAP) in Abuja on Tuesday, said NEAP will bolster efforts to protect the country’s dwindling elephant population and preserve biodiversity.
Nigeria’s elephant population has faced severe challenges with the country losing 99 percent of its elephants to habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflicts.
The minister stressed that working in partnership with the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation and Wildlife Conservation Society, the Nigerian government intends to use the newly launched NEAP to provide a strategic framework for elephant conservation.
NEAP is a 10-year strategic plan (2024-2034) developed to ensure the long-term survival of elephants in Nigeria.
