As Nigeria joins the global community to mark World Zoonoses Day today, leading conservation group Wild Africa has issued an urgent call for federal and state governments to step up concrete actions against habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and the rampant bushmeat trade—warning that failure to do so leaves the country vulnerable to devastating zoonotic disease outbreaks.
Zoonotic diseases—infectious illnesses that jump from animals to humans—include Ebola, Lassa fever, Mpox (Monkeypox), and even COVID-19, all of which have taken a heavy toll on Nigeria in recent years.
According to the World Health Organization, a staggering 75% of emerging human infectious diseases originate from animals, with over 70% of these emerging directly from wildlife.
Yet despite past crackdowns during disease outbreaks like Ebola and Anthrax, the illegal bushmeat trade remains entrenched in open markets and roadside stalls across Nigeria, particularly involving endangered species such as pangolins, bats, monkeys, and snakes.
Wild Africa warns that the growing urban demand for bushmeat in cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt continues to fuel the dangerous trade.
“World Zoonoses Day should serve as a wake-up call. Protecting Nigeria’s wildlife and natural habitats is not just an environmental issue—it’s a matter of national health security,” said Dr. Mark Ofua, West Africa Representative at Wild Africa. “The government must urgently embrace a One Health approach, where human, animal, and environmental health are treated as inseparable, to effectively break the chain of zoonotic transmissions.”
Wild Africa emphasized that zoonotic pathogens often spill over through direct human-animal contact, including bites, scratches, or exposure to animal waste, as well as through consumption of animal products from both domestic and wild species.
However, the organization noted that 71.8% of zoonotic diseases arise from wildlife, underscoring the critical need to protect wild animals and their habitats.
Recent data paint a troubling picture:
Mpox: 3,771 suspected cases, with 1,086 confirmed since 2017.
Yellow Fever: 589 suspected cases recorded in the first four months of 2024.
Anthrax: An outbreak in neighboring Ghana killed 97 animals and sickened several people.
Lassa Fever: Continues to be endemic in Nigeria, transmitted primarily by rodents.
Marburg Virus & Bird Flu: Recent outbreaks in West Africa highlight the persistent risk.
Experts are unanimous that habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and the illegal bushmeat trade are accelerating the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases.
Yet while Nigeria’s Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill has passed its third reading in the House of Representatives and is set for Senate consideration, Wild Africa says swift government action is needed to secure the bill’s passage into law and ensure its rigorous enforcement.
“Laws without enforcement won’t save us. Every level of government must intensify surveillance, shut down illegal wildlife markets, prosecute offenders, and support communities with sustainable livelihoods that don’t depend on bushmeat,” Dr. Ofua added.
To complement legislative efforts, Wild Africa has launched a nationwide awareness campaign across TV, radio, newspapers, billboards, and social media, highlighting the direct link between human health and the health of wildlife and ecosystems.
World Zoonoses Day, observed every July 6 in honor of Louis Pasteur’s first successful rabies vaccine in 1885, serves as a global reminder of the threats posed by zoonotic diseases.
But conservationists warn that while vaccines are important, education, habitat protection, and enforcement are frontline defenses in preventing the next pandemic.
Wild Africa concluded its message with a passionate plea to Nigerians: “Say no to bushmeat, protect our wildlife, and join the fight for a safer, healthier Nigeria.”
Reporting by Innocent Onoh