Sports
Nigeria’s 400 remaining elephants face fight for survival -Conservationist
Nigeria has only about 400 elephants left in the wild, with conservationists warning that habitat loss, illegal ivory trade and human-wildlife conflict are threatening the survival of the species.
The conservationists disclosed this at a media engagement organised by Wild Africa and the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) ahead of the World Elephant Day, celebrated annually on Aug. 12.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) monitored the event virtually.
Dr Mark Ofua, wildlife veterinarian, conservationist and West African representative of Wild Africa, said the remaining population comprised about 300 forest elephants and 100 savannah elephants.
Ofua described the population as a critical mass, warning that continued habitat fragmentation and hunting could result in inbreeding and eventually push the species into extinction.
“Elephants are tenders of the forest,” he said, explaining that the animals played important roles in maintaining forest health, biodiversity and ecological balance.
He described elephants as an “umbrella species”, saying their disappearance would signal that the forest ecosystem was unhealthy and collapsing.
According to him, the extinction of elephants would have consequences for biodiversity, carbon storage and other ecosystem services on which human populations depend.
Ofua said the threats to Nigeria’s elephants included illegal trade in ivory, retaliatory killings arising from human-elephant conflicts and accidental injuries from snares set for other wildlife.
He said the challenge went beyond wildlife conservation, as the disappearance of the species could have serious consequences for forest ecosystems and human wellbeing.
The conservationist also identified inadequate public awareness as a major challenge to elephant conservation in Nigeria.
He estimated that about 80 per cent of Nigerians were unaware that elephants still existed in the country.
Ofua, therefore, called for increased public education and stronger communication campaigns to change perceptions about wildlife and discourage practices that threatened endangered species.
He urged Nigerian companies to move beyond treating conservation as charity and instead regard it as part of their environmental responsibility.
According to him, companies could adopt individual rescued elephants and support conservation programmes as part of their corporate environmental commitments.
Ofua also called for greater investment in ecotourism, saying Nigeria could create jobs and generate revenue by developing its wildlife and natural attractions.
He cited Rwanda’s gorilla trekking programme as an example of how wildlife could generate revenue for conservation and local development.
Ofua said visitors paid about $1,500 for a one-hour gorilla trekking experience, with the revenue supporting local infrastructure and communities.
On illegal wildlife trade, he said elephant endangerment was not primarily driven by the bush-meat trade.
He identified the illegal black-market trade in ivory, retaliatory killings and accidental injuries from snares as major threats to the species.
He also called for changes in cultural practices involving elephant tusks and other wildlife products.
According to him, education was needed to encourage cultural evolution away from the use of animal parts.
Ofua said existing laws had loopholes relating to domestic possession of wildlife products, adding that a new bill awaiting presidential assent was expected to address some of the gaps.
He advocated stronger enforcement, public awareness and accountability against people involved in illegal wildlife activities.
The conservationist also stressed the need for closer collaboration among government agencies, NCF, the National Park Service, customs authorities and other stakeholders to combat illegal wildlife trade.
Dr Stella Egbe, who leads biodiversity pillar programmes at NCF, said forest elephants were found in areas including Omo Forest Reserve, Cross River National Park and coastal areas of Rivers State.
Egbe said savannah elephants were mainly found in Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State.
She noted that elephant populations could move across state and national boundaries, including between Nigeria, Benin Republic and Cameroon.
According to her, scientific methods such as line transects and camera traps were used to conduct elephant surveys, while field observations and monitored poaching incidents also contributed to population estimates.
On human-elephant conflicts, Egbe said habitat fragmentation remained one of the major factors driving encounters between elephants and communities.
She said conflicts had occurred in areas such as Itasin, where encroachment into elephant habitats had resulted in crop destruction and retaliatory killings.
Egbe recommended reducing habitat fragmentation while using deterrent measures such as noise, beehives and chilli fences to keep elephants away from farmlands.
She, however, said inadequate emergency funding made it difficult for conservation organisations to compensate farmers whose crops were destroyed by elephants.
The NCF official also identified insecurity, including banditry and the proliferation of sophisticated weapons, as a major challenge to conservation activities in areas such as Gashaka Gumti.
According to her, insecurity limited the ability of conservationists to manage green spaces and conduct research.
Egbe said implementation of the National Elephant Action Plan remained constrained by inadequate funding.
She explained that although funding was secured for developing the plan, substantial resources were still required to implement the actions contained in it.
The NCF official called for stronger partnerships among government agencies, non-governmental organisations and the private sector to close funding gaps and strengthen conservation efforts.
She said NCF had existing collaborations with private-sector organisations, including Chevron and MTN, while continuing to advocate policies requiring businesses to mitigate their environmental impacts.
Egbe said Nigeria’s abundance of natural resources had contributed to the neglect of wildlife and tourism, with greater attention historically given to crude oil and mineral exploration.
She said protecting green spaces and wildlife could generate year-round economic activities and create employment in sectors such as hospitality and transportation.
NAN reports that the conservationists lamented that several of Nigeria’s natural attractions, including waterfalls, floating lakes and other unique sites, remained largely underdeveloped and poorly marketed.
They stressed that developing ecotourism could diversify Nigeria’s economy while providing sustainable funding for conservation and benefiting communities living around protected areas.
The participants also urged journalists and other stakeholders to sustain public discussion on wildlife conservation and hold relevant authorities accountable for protecting Nigeria’s remaining elephant populations. (NAN).
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has returned to the club’s training ground for the first time since collapsing last month, taking an initial step towards resuming his coaching duties.
The 40-year-old Belgian arrived at Bayern’s Säbener Straße training complex shortly after 10am on Tuesday, according to German media reports.
Kompany worked from his office, held discussions with assistant coach Floribert Ngalula and sporting director Christoph Freund, and watched injured players undergo a recovery session.
However, his return to the facility does not mean he has fully resumed work. He is expected to return to the dugout after the international break, with Bayern scheduled to host Cologne on November 20.
The former Manchester City captain collapsed on October 23 while watching a training session involving Bayern’s reserve team. He was taken to hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with meningeal irritation, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
He was subsequently discharged and continued his recovery at home.
During his absence, assistant coach Aaron Danks took charge of the first team, guiding Bayern through four victories and a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
The German champions defeated Freiburg, Magdeburg, Atletico Madrid and Mainz under Danks, maintaining their momentum while their manager recovered.
Danks had earlier disclosed that Bayern’s management instructed him to keep football-related discussions away from Kompany to allow him to concentrate on his health and family.
“I have clear instructions from Max [Eberl] and Christoph [Freund] not to engage in discussions, first of all, and to keep Vince focused on nothing other than his health and spending time with his family,” he said.
“We want him to rest and recover properly so that, when he returns, he is fully fit and can help us in the best possible way. We are being very strict here and keeping football completely out of it.”
Kompany’s father, Pierre, had also raised concerns about his son’s demanding work schedule in an interview with German newspaper Bild, revealing that the Bayern manager often worked up to 18 hours a day.
“He works 18 hours a day most days and, on a typical day, barely sees his children,” Pierre said, describing a routine that often saw his son arrive at the training ground early and leave late.
Kompany is expected to resume touchline duties when Bayern welcome Cologne on November 20, provided his recovery progresses as planned.
Sports
The Confederation of African Football has announced a new date for the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria
CAF said it has brought forward the ceremony, which was earlier scheduled for December 7,to December 2, saying the program will begin at 7 pm local time.
The event will hold at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, formerly known as the National Theatre, in Lagos.
According to CAF, the awards will bring together the continent’s leading players, coaches and teams to celebrate their achievements in African football over the past year.
“The new date, 2 December 2026, brings forward one of the most prestigious events on the African sporting calendar, as the continent’s finest players, coaches and teams gather in Lagos for a glittering celebration of the achievements that have defined another remarkable year for African football,” the statement read.
The awards will return to Lagos for the first time since the 2014 edition, with CAF saying the city would provide a fitting setting for the celebration of African football, culture, music and entertainment.
The 2026 edition will recognise outstanding performances across 18 categories, including the CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards.
Other categories will recognise coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs and national teams.
CAF said voting for the awards was ongoing and would run from November 5 to 20 across the men’s and women’s categories.
“The voting process involves CAF Member Associations and clubs, with eligible coaches and captains encouraged to cast their votes directly in recognition of the outstanding performers of the year,” the statement added.
CAF said the process was designed to ensure broad representation, fairness and transparency, with independent monitoring to protect the integrity of the results.
The date change comes after CAF confirmed Lagos as the host city for the ceremony in October, initially scheduling it for December 7.
The return to Lagos marks the first time the city will host the awards since 2014. Previous editions were also held there in 2008 and 2013.
At the 2014 edition, which took place on January 8, 2015, former Ivory Coast captain Yaya Toure won the Men’s Player of the Year award for a record fourth consecutive time, while Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala won the Women’s Player of the Year prize.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will have no representative in the CAF Men’s Player of the Year race after the country was omitted from the 10-man shortlist released on November 4.
The Super Eagles were also absent from the nominations in the other six men’s categories, while the Super Falcons missed out on the top women’s awards.
The Senate has announced a donation of N100 million to Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, following their historic victory at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Senate President announced the donation during plenary on Tuesday while presiding over a motion moved by Sen. Abdul Ningi (ADC-Bauchi Central) on the need to congratulate the victorious girls on their achievement.
Ningi described the victory as historic, noting that the young players had achieved what several other Nigerian national teams had struggled to accomplish.
He said the team’s triumph was particularly remarkable, given the limited expectations that surrounded the players before the competition.
The senator expressed concern that the achievement had not received adequate publicity and national recognition, adding that the players deserved to be celebrated for bringing honour to Nigeria and Africa.
He also expressed concern that the team did not receive sufficient official recognition upon its arrival in the country.
Seconding the motion, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole (APC-Edo North) commended the team for defeating Japan in the final, describing the victory as evidence of the potential and determination of Nigerian youths.
Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to appreciate the country’s achievements rather than constantly focusing on its challenges.
He also appealed to the Senate leadership to make a donation to the team to support the players’ educational needs alongside their sporting careers.
The senate thereafter adopted Ningi’s prayers, congratulating President Bola Tinubu for his support for sports development, Nigerians on the historic victory, and the leadership of the National Sports Commission, particularly its Chairman, Shehu Dikko.
It also urged the federal government to provide adequate compensation and rewards for the players in recognition of their achievement.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, said the victory was a significant achievement for Nigeria and Africa, particularly as the Flamingos defeated football nations, including Brazil and Japan
Akpabio urged the federal government to adequately reward the players and called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to sustain the team and continue developing the players for future competitions.
The senate president also appealed to wealthy and sports-loving Nigerians to support the players and encourage other young people to participate in sports.
He noted that the N100 million donation by the National Assembly was intended to recognise the players’ achievement and encourage them to continue bringing honour to the country.
“I want to commend the Flamingos, the Under-17 youth team of Nigeria, for defeating major countries such as Brazil and Japan to win the Under-17 World Cup for Africa for the first time and for Nigeria.
“We also urged, and we pray that the federal government will recognise these children accordingly and give them adequate rewards.
“The Nigerian Football Federation, under its leadership, should see the need to keep these children together and develop them further,” Akpabio said.
He congratulated the players, the Senate Committee on Sports and all Nigerians on the historic victory. (NAN)
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