Nigeria: conservationists rehabilitate endangered sea turtles
Wildlife conservationist Chinedu Mogbo prepares to release a rehabilitated sea turtle into the Atlantic Ocean near Lagos, Nigeria, July 31, 2025. The turtle was later released more than 10 nautical miles offshore to reduce the risk of recapture. Conservationists warn that endangered species like sea turtles are rapidly disappearing along Nigeria's southern coast due to poaching. REUTERS/Sodiq Adelakun
In Lagos, Nigeria, conservationist Chinedu Mogbo is leading a grassroots effort to save and rehabilitate endangered sea turtles, Africanews via AP and Reuters reported on October 22nd.
For over five years, his initiative, the Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative, has intervened in the face of mounting threats to these marine animals, including pollution, discarded fishing nets, poaching and relentless coastal development.
More than 70 turtles have been rescued and returned to the sea by Chinedu Mogbo’s team after weeks of treatment. These turtles are more than curiosities of the ocean: they serve as vital indicators of marine ecosystem health and the stability of fish stocks. In Nigeria’s waters, at least five species are classified as endangered or threatened.
Chinedu Mogbo said: “Without the sea turtles they will not be able to fish. Without the turtles, you have more jellyfish in your nets. So it’s important that they are there to reduce the jellyfish so that you can have more fish.”
His organisation works by educating fishers about the importance of turtles, and incentivising change, offering net-repair kits in exchange for rescued turtles or protected nests within the community.
Among the greatest challenges is plastic pollution along the Lagos shoreline. Rampant waste disposal, combined with Africa’s most populous city’s rapid urbanisation, has turned the coastline into a collection zone for ocean-bound plastic.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year and the West African coast is experiencing one of the fastest-accelerating rates of biodiversity loss globally.
Mogbo’s work is an example of community-based conservation as he is not only rescuing turtles but creating awareness, building local capacity, and fostering stewardship of marine ecosystems.
Africanews via AP and Reuters, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
