Nigeria has launched a 10-year National Elephant Action Plan, as the country’s elephant population suffered an 86% population decline in the last 30 years.

At the launch yesterday in Abuja, Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, raised the alarm thatNigeria’s elephant population is severely threatened, crashing from 1,500 to about 300-400.

The minister explained that the 10-year National Elephant Action Plan will provide the necessary strategic framework for the coordination of all actors involved in elephant conservation and management.

Salako also noted that the document is designed to be flexible and evolve strategies with new threats, new challenges, and new opportunities.