Professional Assessment of Wildlife Trafficking Routes and Species Composition Through South West Nigeria

This study professionally assesses wildlife trafficking patterns, species composition, and smuggling route structures through South West Nigeria, covering Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo States. Nigeria is among the world's largest wildlife trafficking hubs, and understanding the species and volumes transiting the South West corridor is critical for intelligence-led enforcement. Using a multi-source intelligence and field assessment methodology, wildlife confiscation records from the Nigerian Customs Service, NESREA, and Nigeria Police Force from 2020 to 2024 were collated and analysed. Open market surveys were conducted at 15 identified wildlife trading points in Lagos, Ibadan, and Abeokuta. Twenty-five key informant interviews were conducted with law enforcement officers and undercover interviews with traders. Photographic documentation and species identification from market seizure evidence were compiled. Analysis identified 47 species involved in trafficking, including CITES Appendix I species such as pangolins Manis spp., African grey parrot, and various primate species. Lagos ports, particularly Tin Can Island and Apapa, were identified as the primary export nodes. Transit routes from Cross River, Edo, and Delta forest zones to Lagos markets were reconstructed from intelligence data. Enforcement capacity was assessed as inadequate to deter trafficking at current intervention levels. The study delivers a professional intelligence brief for the Nigerian Conservation Foundation and UNODC, recommending targeted market-level enforcement, port scanner upgrades, and CITES compliance training for Customs officers. Keywords: wildlife trafficking, smuggling routes, South West Nigeria, pangolin, CITES enforcement.