Nigeria risks infectious diseases if Illegal wildlife trade,  others are not checked – Expert

Conservation expert and Wildlife Veterinarian, Dr. Mark Ofua, has warned that Nigeria faces high risk of emerging infectious diseases if illegal wildlife trade, environmental degradation, and insecurity are not urgently addressed.

Dr. Ofua disclosed this during a media briefing organised by Wild Africa ahead of World Zoonoses Day. Zoonotic disease is an illness transmitted between animals and humans and remains one of the greatest global public health threats, particularly as new pathogens continue to emerge from wildlife.

This year’s World Zoonoses Day is themed “One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses,” highlighting the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

Dr. Ofua said: “We should not think these diseases have disappeared, the message this year is vigilance. Zoonotic diseases are still with us, and we must remain prepared.”

According to Dr. Ofua, while many zoonotic diseases such as rabies, anthrax and brucellosis have known treatments or preventive measures, the greatest concern lies in newly emerging diseases from the wild and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections.

He explained that over 60% of infectious diseases affecting humans originated from animals, but warned that pathogens resistant to available antibiotics could become the next global health crisis.

“AMR is already being described as a silent pandemic,” he said.

“These are infections caused by organisms that were once easily treated but have developed resistance to available antibiotics. When they infect people, treatment becomes extremely difficult.”

Recalling a case in Lagos, Dr. Ofua described how a pharmacist nearly died after common antibiotics failed to treat an infection caused by a resistant organism.

Dr. Ofua stated that Nigeria’s current zoonotic threats,  Lassa fever as one of the country’s biggest public health concerns.

Dr. Ofua warned that Nigeria’s thriving bushmeat trade significantly increases the likelihood of zoonotic disease transmission.

He explained that wild animals often carry pathogens without showing symptoms, but stress caused by trapping, transportation and overcrowding in markets can increase the virulence of those diseases.

“When animals are removed from the wild and mixed together in markets, pathogens have opportunities to jump between species,” he said.

“People handling these animals often do so without protective equipment, increasing the chances of transmission.”

He further warned that wildlife imported through informal trade routes from Central Africa Republic into Nigeria could introduce dangerous pathogens long before authorities detect them.

“Government focuses heavily on airports, but infected wildlife can travel through bushmeat trade routes across borders without any monitoring,” he said.

Dr. Ofua linked Nigeria’s growing insecurity to increased public health risks.

He said forests occupied by bandits have become inaccessible to conservation workers, allowing illegal wildlife hunting and trafficking to flourish.

According to him, insurgents often depend on wildlife for food and income, increasing human contact with wild animals and creating opportunities for disease spillover.

“There is a direct connection between insecurity, illegal wildlife trade and zoonotic diseases,” he said. “The same criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking often overlap with other organised crimes.”

He added that conflict also prevents authorities from monitoring wildlife populations and containing potential outbreaks at their source.

Dr. Ofua argued that biodiversity conservation should be viewed as a public health intervention.

He explained that predators and scavengers such as snakes, owls, vultures and cats naturally regulate rodent populations that spread diseases like Lassa fever and leptospirosis.