The wildlife conservation organisation, Wild Africa has partnered with Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), a state radio broadcasting network operating across the country, to educate Nigerians on wildlife-focused issues, especially those related to the country’s wildlife, national parks and the urgent need to protect rapidly declining wildlife populations.
The Global Spaces programme airs every Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WAT, reaching millions of listeners across over 36 network substations nationwide.
Under the partnership, FRCN, also known as Radio Nigeria, will focus on one major wildlife-focused theme each month. It will offer insights into the illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, and the status of several wildlife species while also spotlighting major international environmental days such as World Lion Day, World Gorilla Day, and World Wildlife Day.
The programme will feature wildlife conservationists, policymakers, park rangers, and the people and organisations working on the ground to protect Nigeria’s wildlife. As Africa’s largest radio network, Radio Nigeria operates 47 FM stations and zonal stations across six regions, providing a unique platform to engage a diverse audience across urban and rural communities.
“The FRCN’s partnership with Wild Africa is a means of reaching our goal of ensuring that more people become aware of the need to sustain all levels of biodiversity and ensure the survival of species and ecosystems at all levels,” said the Director General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed B. Bulama.
Through the Global Spaces programme, FRCN is poised to create more media awareness on the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems and hold stakeholders accountable for enforcing existing wildlife protection laws. Radio Nigeria remains committed to the ongoing efforts to safeguard all wildlife from extinction.
Nigeria’s wildlife is under intense pressure from poaching to supply the illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction. Several species, such as lions, elephants, chimpanzees, and gorillas, are at the brink of extinction. For example, the country’s elephant population has declined by 99 percent, with only about 300-400 elephants surviving in the wild.
Beyond species decline, Nigeria has become a major transit hub for the illegal wildlife trade, with elephant ivory and pangolin scales smuggled through the country to international markets. The West African nation has been linked to the smuggling of more than 30 tonnes of ivory since 2015 and over half of the pangolin scales seized globally between 2016 and 2019.
In addition, the rampant bushmeat trade poses a serious public health risk, increasing the chances of zoonotic diseases—infectious diseases that spread between animals and humans—like Ebola and Mpox jumping from wildlife to humans. Despite these challenges, environmental programming remains limited in Nigerian radio, where political discussions, sports, and entertainment dominate the airwaves. With Global Spaces already established as a leading environmental programme, Wild Africa’s participation ensures that biodiversity issues receive national attention.
Radio’s passive listening feature allows listeners to engage in daily activities like driving, or trading while keeping up with news and events nationwide. By integrating conservation themes into Global Spaces, listeners will receive accurate, research-based information about biodiversity, wildlife protection laws, and conservation success stories.
“Global Space is Radio Nigeria’s flagship and multiple award-winning programme on the environment, ecosystem and nature conservation. Apart from raising awareness on environmental degradation and the need to imbibe sustainable healthy practices for the good of all, we’re passionate about protecting the ecosystem, including the wildlife habitat. We view protecting wild animals and their habitats as extremely important in ensuring a balanced ecosystem, which is why our partnership with Wild Africa is vital,” said the Producer of Global Spaces, Sunday Igoche.
Speaking on the partnership, Wild Africa Nigeria Representative Festus Iyorah emphasised the impact of integrating conservation discussions into a national radio network.
“This partnership is a game-changer for wildlife conservation in Nigeria. For the first time, through the Global Spaces programme, we have a platform that reaches people in all 36 states simultaneously. This nationwide reach means that our impact will be immense—sparking informed discussions, highlighting success stories and prosecution and encouraging Nigerians to protect our wildlife and national heritage for future generations.”
