A wildlife veterinarian and conservationist, Dr. Mark Ofua, has called on FirstBank of Nigeria to adopt a baby elephant, Agbaibor, rescued within the boundaries of Okomu National Park, Edo State, citing the bank’s long-standing association with the elephant as a symbol.
Ofua made the call during a media chat organised by Wild Africa ahead of World Elephant Day, marked annually on August 12.
The wildlife veterinarian, who is the West African representative of Wild Africa, said the rescued elephant calf requires continuous care, noting that keeping and rehabilitating a rescued wild animal comes with significant financial costs.
He suggested that FirstBank could support the animal’s care as part of its corporate investment in wildlife conservation.
“FirstBank of Nigeria, their logo, their mascot is the elephant. So what is wrong if FirstBank adopts and cares for that elephant?” Ofua asked.
He said that the rescued elephant could become a symbol of the bank’s commitment to conservation while the institution provides support for its welfare.
According to him, the proposal could also encourage other private companies to take a more active role in protecting Nigeria’s wildlife.
The call comes amid concerns over the declining elephant population in Nigeria, which conservationists estimate at about 400 in the wild.
Ofua said about 300 of the remaining elephants are forest elephants, while about 100 are savannah elephants.
He warned that the population is already at a critical level and could face further decline if habitat fragmentation, poaching and human-elephant conflicts are not properly addressed.
The conservationist said the private sector must begin to view environmental protection as an investment rather than charity.
According to him, conservation in Nigeria cannot be left to the government and a few non-governmental organisations, particularly at a time when conservation funding remains inadequate.
“Government cannot do it alone. The few private institutions doing it cannot do it alone,” he said.
Ofua pointed to the private sector’s involvement in conservation efforts in other African countries, saying Nigerian companies could adopt similar models.
He cited the rescued elephant in Okomu National Park as an opportunity for a Nigerian company to demonstrate how corporate support could contribute directly to wildlife protection.
“If FirstBank supports him, these are ways that the private sector can come to conservation efforts,” he said.
Ofua also called for greater support for conservation education and media campaigns, noting that many Nigerians are unaware that elephants still exist in the country.
He said greater public awareness was necessary to help Nigerians understand the ecological importance of elephants and the need to protect them.
According to Ofua, elephants play an important role in maintaining healthy forests by dispersing seeds, creating pathways, breaking down old trees and supporting the regeneration of some plant species.
He described elephants as “the tenders of the forest”, stressing that their disappearance could affect several other species and ecological processes.
Also speaking at the media chat, Dr. Stella Egbe of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) said private-sector involvement in conservation was becoming increasingly important globally.
Egbe said some private organisations, including Chevron, had supported NCF projects, while other private partners were contributing to conservation and restoration initiatives.
She, however, said more needed to be done to move private-sector support beyond occasional contributions towards long-term investment in nature.
According to her, Nigeria must begin to recognise nature as a form of capital and ensure that businesses contribute towards mitigating their impact on the environment.
She noted that the country’s National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan provides room for private-sector participation in conservation.
The conservationists also identified habitat fragmentation, poaching and human-elephant conflict as major threats to the survival of Nigeria’s remaining elephants.
Egbe explained that the destruction of elephant habitats increasingly brings the animals into contact with human communities, sometimes resulting in crop destruction, economic losses and retaliatory killings.
She called for greater protection of natural habitats and improved support for communities affected by human-elephant conflict.
As Nigeria prepares to mark World Elephant Day, the call for FirstBank to adopt the rescued elephant is both symbolic and practical, as a bank whose identity is associated with the elephant could help protect a real elephant while encouraging other companies to invest in Nigeria’s natural heritage.
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