By Samuel
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards regulating the Nigerian donkey market so as to stop the declining population of donkeys in the country.
Director-General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Vincent Isegbe, gave the reassurance in a press statement released by the agency’s spokesperson, Chigozie Nwodo.
Isegbe said regulation is important to preventing over-exploitation and to protect surviving donkeys from extinction as demands for the animal skin skyrockets.
He added that regulation plays an important role in maintaining the country’s biodiversity.
“The spate of mounting demands for donkey skins has fostered a ravenous underground market for the product resulting in a relentless open season on the donkey population,” he pointed out.
The National Assembly in 2018 proposed a bill to prohibit trade in donkeys after the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) raised concerns over the indiscriminate slaughtering of donkeys.
The NVMA disclosed that the country’s donkey skin was getting high demands from Chinese pharmaceutical companies, a situation it decried could lead to the extinction of the animal species.
According to Isegbe, Nigeria’s status as a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) makes it necessary to protect the donkeys.
The agency DG also lamented the depleting population of donkeys globally, adding that climate change’s contribution to the situation has spurred conservationist efforts.
He said, “In line with this trend, NAQS recently assessed the risk environment of the Nigerian donkeys and it was disconcerting.
“NAQS tabled its findings and recommendations on the developmental needs of donkey in 2017 before the National Council of Agriculture, the highest policy-making body on agriculture in the federation.”
On his part, Head of Animal Quarantine Department at NAQS, Abiodun Akinjo noted that despite the prohibition, underground transactions were still taking place. He noted that the body was working assiduously to disorient the networks.
“We found out that foreign naturals were inducing and instigating this wanton depopulation of Nigerian donkeys. Donkey skin is a highly-prized raw material in Asia.
“Knowing that Nigeria has good donkey numbers, they have spent time and resources to cultivate a loyal supply network which makes the overkill and delivers the donkey skin,” Akinjo said.
NAQS, in the statement, however, pledged to “make the export trade in donkey skin advantageous for everybody, including generations unborn.”