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Why Nigerians don’t go to zoos again— Experts

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Some experts have decried what they called disappearing zoo culture in the country, attributing it to poor maintenance of most zoological gardens and the current state of the nation’s economy.

Answering questions during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey, the experts said that the poor state of the economy had compelled most Nigerians to consider visiting zoological gardens as secondary.

A don, Prof. Lameed Gbolagade, told NAN that the current state of economy in the country made many people prefer basic human needs, such as food, shelter and clothing, to leisure or relaxation.

According to Gbolagade, hardly do Nigerians consider going to zoological gardens as relevant or important any more, except students who are compelled by their various institutions and few others.

“Zoological gardens and other places of tourism are at the receiving end of such rejection.

“The money accruable from ticketing has been grossly reduced. Consequently, many animals are being starved or deprived of basic necessities,” he said.

Gbolagade, who is from the Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, University of Ibadan, however, said some zoological gardens were still managing to survive in spite of the challenges.

“We have the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, University of Ilorin Zoological Garden, FUNAAB Zoo and Obasanjo Library Zoo, among others.

“However, many zoological gardens, such as Agodi Gardens and some others, have folded up due to reasons bordering on financial incapability as well as manpower and institutional-based problems.

“Others have ceased to exist due to low patronage as well as lack of good and healthy species that can be displayed in the zoo.

“The species are called ‘keystone species’, such as the big five: lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and python/chimpanzee/gorilla, all of which can attract visitors’ interests,” he said.

Gbolagade said many people were yet to recover from Ebola and COVID-19 pandemics which, he said, were erroneously believed to be caused by exposure to wild animals.

The don added that many zoological gardens could not afford to feed their animals, pay the salaries and emoluments of their workers and meet other necessities.

“However, new zoos are coming up, either from individuals or institutions, depending on conservation interest and ability to manage the species of animals in captivity,” he said.

Also, Dr Amos Olorunnipa, an expert in Anthropology, Cultural Studies and Heritage Consultancy, noted that there were some zoological gardens in some locations, although they might not be fully functioning.

“There are zoological gardens in places like Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and Jos in Plateau,” Olorunnipa said.

He attributed the closure of some zoological gardens to factors such as inadequate management, lack of enough space, food, water and veterinary care as well as lack of interest on the part of visitors and poor finances.

Olorunnipa said that zoological gardens were no longer visited regularly by most people due to the current economic hardship in the country, lack of financial backing, increase in zoo entry charges, insecurity, kidnapping, banditry and insurgency.

The don also listed COVID-19 pandemic and absence of some animals that usually attracted visitors as part of the reasons for closure of some zoological gardens.

“Another likely factor may be the story of some dangerous animals already heard by the public, while some may think that visiting the zoo is not as educative nowadays as it used to be,” he said.

Olorunnipa however, stressed the need for revival in zoo management, importation of more wild animals that could attract visitors and intensification of public enlightenment.

For Mr Tony Adegoke, an Osogbo based zoologist, poor budgetary allocation, inadequate maintenance and illegal killing of wildlife were major setbacks to development and sustenance of zoological gardens in Nigeria.

“If both the state and federal governments can allocate enough funds for the maintenance of the animals, some of the ailing zoological gardens can still come alive for the benefit of the people,” Adegoke said. (NAN)

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N10bn Alleged Loot: SGF Akume’s PA ,Torhile Uchi Turns Chinery

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** as he implicates Sen. Jack Gyado, Shango, Two Reps members, Chia Waya and others

 

As the ongoing probe into the alleged fraudulent activities of the embattled personal Assistant to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF Senator George Akume, Hon. Andrew Torhile Uchi, continues , our correspondent gathered that he has allegedly turned to Chinery dropping prominent individuals names as EFCC widened up its investigations.

Meanwhile, the operative of the Commission on Thursday, granted an administrative bail to his younger brother, Mr. Tersoo Uchi, who was taken into custody over his alleged complicity in the matter.

Our checks reveals that a mind-boggling scandal was exposed via a petition written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, intimating them about a controversial office opened in the central business district in Abuja, beside the Federal High Court, to engaged on fraudulent consultancy of awarding Ecological contracts to business men and women, boards appointments and other governments favors amounting to billions of Naira.

Further checks also, revealed that the embattled Uchi, so far, has allegedly implicated two elder statesmen, Senator Jack Gyado and Elder Simon Shango, over the sharing of the largesse.

Also, mentioned are two serving members of the House of Representatives ( names withheld), Mr. Chia waya, Prof. Babatunde, Late. Ortaver Abaagu, a serving director in the SGF office and other three close political associates of the secretary to the government of the Federation, SGF Senator George Akume.

Importantly, a highly placed source at the Commission, told our correspondent that, the SGF, was duly notified about the investigations weeks ago, which he personally okayed that it’s must be carried out to enable him cleared his name and office.

The source who quoted the SGF, that he outrightly distanced himself from the alleged fraud that the law must takes its cause without any hindrance and obstructions.

Investigations from the EFCC, indicates that most of the inflows traced to four new generations banks of Mr. Uchi, allegedly raises serious suspicions with the volumes and the traffic its generated, which clearly indicated its were bribes.

Recall that a highly placed source at the Commission, had confirmed to our correspondent on Friday, that the embattled Uchi was invited by the operatives of the Commission on Monday, upon a petition received by the anti-graft agency over Alleged properties he acquired in Abuja, Jos, Makurdi, Gboko and Wannune in Tarka, local government Area of Benue State amounting to over N6 billion.

According to the source, further investigations so far, has revealed that between December 2023 to date the anti-graft agency has been able to trace a whooping N1.6 billion that was allegedly used in buying purch cars through four new generations banks to nine car dealers in Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos, Jos and Makurdi respectively.

The source further added that two Bureau de change operatives are currently been investigated by the Commission, over their alleged involvement in the scam, owing that most of the funds credited to embattled Torhile Andrew Uchi, emanated from their coys.

He said that the Commission is currently working towards getting a court nod to widen the scope of their investigations to the properties in Abuja, Jos and other part of the country to ascertain the source of the income and how the properties were allegedly purchased.

As of the time of filing in this report Mr. Uchi, is still in custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, telling the dreaded operatives of the Commission how he allegedly got the funds which is largely believed to be proceeds from bribes.

He might end up staying in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC beyond 48 hours as recommended by the law, owing the fact that the Commission has secretly secured an injuction to keep him beyond the required days as stipulated by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Starship to leave for Mars at end of 2026 – Elon Musk

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Elon Musk has announced an ambitious timeline for SpaceX’s Mars mission, revealing that the company’s massive Starship rocket is set to depart for the Red Planet at the end of 2026. The mission will include Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, as part of the spacecraft’s payload.

“If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely,” Musk posted on his social media platform, X.

The Starship rocket—considered the world’s most powerful—is central to Musk’s long-term vision of colonizing Mars. However, significant technical hurdles remain before this dream becomes reality.

NASA is also counting on a modified version of Starship to serve as the lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon this decade. But before SpaceX can proceed with interplanetary travel, it must demonstrate that Starship is safe, reliable, and capable of complex in-orbit refueling—an essential requirement for deep space missions.

SpaceX recently encountered a setback when the latest test flight of Starship ended in an explosion. While the booster was successfully caught in its orbital test, the upper stage failed, tumbling out of control before the live feed abruptly cut. The incident mirrored a previous attempt.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated an investigation before Starship can fly again, adding another layer of scrutiny to SpaceX’s ambitious timeline.

Despite these challenges, Musk remains optimistic, continuing to push forward toward his goal of making humanity a multi-planetary species.

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Obi donates N20m to Colleges of Nursing in Ahiara and Ihiala

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The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has donated N20 million to two Colleges of Nursing Sciences in Imo and Anambra States. The beneficiaries are Holy Rosary College of Nursing, Ogbe, in Ahiara Catholic Diocese, Mbaise, and College of Nursing Sciences, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala.

Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, presented N10 million cheques to each institution during his visits on Friday. At the Holy Rosary College of Nursing, he handed over the cheque to the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Most Rev Simeon Nwobi, at the college’s construction site. Similarly, at Our Lady of Lourdes, Ihiala, he presented the donation to the Students’ Union Government (SUG) President, Miss Anigbo Chisom Mary, in the presence of excited students.

Highlighting the significance of his donation, Obi stressed that healthcare and education are critical to national development. He commended the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara for investing in nursing education, describing it as a vital step in securing Nigeria’s future.

“My Lords, what you are doing is a great service to our country,” Obi said. “This donation is not a favour but a recognition of your efforts in nation-building. I will always support this project because it is about securing a better future for Nigeria.”

Obi further urged the government to prioritize quality education, including the prompt payment of teachers’ salaries. He emphasized the need for free and accessible education at the primary and secondary levels, both in public and private schools.

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