The Nigerian minister of state for Niger Delta affairs, Sharon Ikeazor, has joined the leadership council of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) Foundation.
Deworitshe Patricia, who is the director of press and public relations in the ministry announced this in a statement issued at the weekend.
The United Kingdom-based foundation is working in consonance with the United Nations Environment Assembly, which seeks to secure the harmonious coexistence of people and elephants, with herds able to travel across their range, while strengthening actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, combat climate change and support local livelihoods.
Other members of the leadership council include the former president of Botswana, Ian Khama; the first lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Maada Bio; the former first lady of Kenya, Margaret Kenyatta; the former prime minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn;, rand Gabon’s minister of forests, oceans, environment and climate change, Lee White.
The minister, who accepted the invitation recently from the foundation’s board to join the leadership council, pledged support on steering wildlife conservation policy from within a unique alliance of African countries.
According to the her, “EPI is dedicated to conserving elephants and ensuring a better future for people who live near them, and I wholeheartedly share those objectives.”
Welcoming Ikeazor to the leadership council of EPI, the foundation’s CEO, John Scanlon A.O, stated that the leadership council provides guidance and advice to the foundation, which is comprised eminent African politicians and conservationists.
He further explained that the EPI Foundation, which was established in 2014 by the leaders of Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, Gabon and Tanzania, serves as the secretariat to EPI, an alliance of 22 African countries with common policies on elephant conservation. Nigeria joined the league in 2018.
Scanlon commended the Ikeazor for being dedicated and highly effective in office, noting that “her vast expertise and inspiring vision would be invaluable to the EPI Foundation.”
