Vulture populations have collapsed across Nigeria, leaving only two species remaining out of a historic seven. Amid habitat loss and poaching for belief-based practices, conservationists and traditional medicine practitioners are turning to plant alternatives and community-led protection to reverse the decline.
The Vanishing Vultures of Nigeria
Nigeria has become a major hub for the illegal trade of vultures, driven by porous borders and rich biodiversity. While the country was once home to seven distinct vulture species, recent surveys have recorded just two: the critically endangered hooded vulture and the palm-nut vulture. Conservation groups point to habitat loss, poisoning, and intense poaching for belief-based uses—such as traditional medicine or rituals meant to bring luck and success—as the primary drivers of this rapid collapse.
Law enforcement agencies are stepping up efforts to curb the cross-border smuggling of protected wildlife. Abdullahi Maiwada, a spokesman for the Nigerian Customs Service, stated that officials have carried out seizures and supported prosecutions linked to illegal trafficking. He noted that the country is trying to meet its commitments under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Abdullahi Maiwada, spokesman for the Nigerian Customs Service, stated that they are doing everything possible to make sure that the smuggling of items, including vultures, including donkeys, and other species outside the country is suppressed to the barest minimum.
However, enforcement alone remains insufficient. Maiwada acknowledged that community cooperation and education are crucial for long-term preservation, noting that enforcement can only act as a complement to public understanding.
Traditional Medicine Practitioners Turn to Plant Alternatives
To reduce consumer demand, conservation groups including the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) have engaged directly with traditional medicine practitioners. Stella Egbe, species conservation manager at the NCF, reported that many practitioners are switching to plant alternatives, influenced by awareness campaigns, increased law enforcement, and rising prices for vulture parts in certain regions.
Chief Samson Ola Soyoye, vice president of the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners, explained that that was when the vultures were many, but now they are rapidly going into extinction.
Chief Samson Ola Soyoye, vice president of the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners, acknowledged the deep history of using vulture parts in traditional medicine. Supporting the shift toward conservation, he added that his view is to look for alternative plants instead of vultures.
Practitioners currently utilize more than 20 different plants in place of vulture parts. Yet this shift introduces new ecological challenges. The African mahogany tree, known locally as oganwo, serves as one alternative but is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List due to heavy population declines. Another substitute, the violet tree or ipeta, faces similar pressure from overharvesting. In response, Egbe stated that the NCF plans to cultivate threatened medicinal plant species within protected areas.
Regional Cultural Divides and Community Success Stories
The uptake of plant alternatives varies significantly across the country, largely dictated by local belief systems. According to Michael Manja Williams, a doctoral candidate at the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, cultural norms in southern and eastern Nigeria generally prohibit killing vultures. These traditions align naturally with conservation messaging, making practitioners in those regions more willing to abandon the use of vulture parts.
Conversely, cultural beliefs in northern and western Nigeria often link the presence or sight of vultures to bad luck or ill omens. Demand for parts in those areas appears to be growing, complicating regional conservation efforts.
Despite these hurdles, local initiatives offer proof of progress. In the southeastern town of Awka-Etiti, community engagement has empowered residents to guard their local environment against outside hunters.
Igwe noted that the missing vultures are almost back, and that if you go to the marketplace now, you see vultures, adding that at one time they disappeared, but now they are coming back.
Egbe highlighted this community-led model as a success story where residents took direct charge of local environmental protection. While conservationists remain cautiously optimistic about these localized returns, experts emphasize that broader population recovery across Africa still requires sustained national enforcement and widespread educational outreach.
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