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[OPINION] Without Visas Foreign Ringed Birds Fly To Weppa, Nigeria!

Published

5 years ago

November 22, 2020

By Tony Erha

To conservationists and the simple-minded folks of Weppa in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria, it is ‘bravo’ that ringed birds ceaselessly migrate from distant countries in Europe, America, Africa and other continents of the world to its neighbourhoods of Weppa Farms. Classified by key global conservation institutions as an International Bird Area (IBA) and Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), it is a significant transit/destination to the itinerant birds as well as a home to a high number of species; some endangered or are going extinct.

With the presence of pervasive indigenous and migratory bird species, visitors in the mode of Birdwatchers, Eco-tourists and Ornithologists (a tongue-biting-word for those who study of birds) etc., throng there to observe all, including the “Flying Visitors”, which the innocent villagers willingly grant recurring ‘asylums’ without “Visas and Travel Restrictions”.

Yet again on November 11, 2020, a ‘Lesser Spotted Eagle _’ (Aquila pomarina), of_ nestling born in July 12, 2020, wearing a yellowish ‘TEZ DEH CA 16564’ tag on the leg, flew all the way from Gustrow in Germany (coordinate 53°56’00″N 12°29’00″E) to the serene Weppa neighbourhood in Nigeria (7°02’22″N 6°33’59″E). Via a letter dated on 12th November, 2020 by Beringunszentrale Hiddensee, Official Ringer of the bird authenticated its identity etc. Hiddensee gave the time-lapse of the bird’s disappearance in Germany and discovering in Nigeria as 122 days, on a distance of 5,081 km. Perhaps the timeline was much longer than that of the average ringed aquatic birds of near equal-distance from Finland to Taraba State, Nigeria, which stay only about a month. The delay of the German bird might be that it was found sick and wounded, leading to its treatment at Weppa Farms, with the aim to release it after recovery.

Leg identity Tag of German bird. Photo Credit: Tony Erha

The Weppa’s neighbourhood had been in the global news spotlight for long. For instance, 25 years ago, the discovery of a rarest Vemiculated Fishing Owl _(Scotopelia bouvieri)_ in the vicinity dominated the world news. That was an amazing discovery by ‘Eagle-eye’ Phil Hall.

For decades, Weppa had had the nurturing support of Mr A. P. Leventis, a flawless conservationist and birdwatcher, whose second nature for caregiving encouraged Weppa as an integrated farm settlement, Agricultural College, Conservation Resource Centre and IBA/KBA etc. Suffice that Mr Leventis and his associates like the aforementioned Sir Phil Hall OBE, Nick Ashton Jones and others, with relentless conservation and agricultural activities in Nigeria, had groomed numerous young Nigerians, in a generational knowledge and practice transfer bid.

Yet, “Nigeria hasn’t a strong tradition or culture of birdwatching and bird study/ornithology. It is a relatively new field of study herein that is just developing…” Retorted Sam Ivande, a PhD holder in Ornithology from the St Andrews University of United Kingdom (U.K.), who is a lecturer at the degree awarding A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) of the University of Jos, Nigeria. Ivande joins Hope Usieta and other young Nigerians, nourished by the Leventis Foundation-Nigeria (LFN). Usieta, LFN’s boss, is a Cambridge University, U.K., Ph.D holder in Ornithology, and a visiting lecturer to APLORI.

Dr Joseph Onoja, Director of Technical Programme with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), praised the efforts of the Weppa IBA/KBA, which he said is as a result of the nurturing by APLORI, a dependable partner of NCF. Onoja spoke elatedly about the NCF’s flagship Bird Study Office located in Buru, Donga, Taraba State. Between 1996 and 1997, before the setting up of the Buru Bird Project, this writer and some foreign bird observers, a thing lavishly reported by the global press, discovered Taraba, a fringe north-east state of Nigeria, as a transit/destination of seasonal migratory birds ringed in Germany, Sweden, Holland and Finland etc.

Ringed leg-tag of bird from a European country. Photo Credit: Tony Erha

But the useful lessons derivable from the Weppa IBA/KBA’s success story, is the benchmark record set for exploitative multinational companies, not to deviate from exemplary Corporate Social Responsibility principle, where the Leventis Foundation-Nigeria and its appendage Weppa Farms could squeeze a vast 4,000 hectares for conservation, from a merely 13,000 hectares total ceded to them for agriculture and livelihood sustainability drives, to aid local communities.

Tony Erha is a journalist and Conservationist

News

Bandits Abduct Kebbi Deputy Speaker

Published

6 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Deputy Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Samaila Bambu, has reportedly been abducted by bandits suspected to be Lakurawa terrorists.

According to a resident familiar with the incident, Bambu was abducted on Friday evening in his hometown, Bagudo, in Bagudu Local Government Area of the state.

Confirming the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, said he had just received the information when contacted by The PUNCH.

News

JAMB Flags 2,658 Admissions As Illegal

Published

6 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has flagged a total of 2,658 admissions conducted during the 2024/2025 academic session as illegal.

The illegal admissions were flagged from a total of 17 universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, according to a breakdown of institutional analysis conducted by the board, which was obtained by our correspondent on Friday in Abuja.

This is as public universities ended the admission processes for the 2025/2026 academic session on Friday.

According to the data, the affected institutions with illegal admissions are: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (1,847); Osun State University (492); Abubakar Tafari Ali Polytechnic (148); Federal College of Animal and Health Production (66); University of Calabar (28); College of Education, Oro (12); Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (12); Redeemer’s University (five); Pan-Atlantic University (five); Nigerian Army College of Education (two); Kwara State Polytechnic (one); and Best Solution Polytechnic (one), among others.

JAMB categorises admissions conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System, popularly known as CAPS, as illegal.

Over the years, the board has issued directives to institutions and candidates on the dangers of issuing and accepting admissions outside CAPS.

During the 2025 policy meeting organised by the board, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, warned that severe sanctions, including withdrawal of assets and punishment of officials, would be meted out to institutions involved in illegal admission racketeering.

CAPS, introduced in 2017, is being implemented to ensure transparency, fairness, and merit-based admissions, according to JAMB.

Candidates can track admission offers, accept or reject admissions, and verify their statuses.

Students who accept admissions outside CAPS risk ineligibility for the mandatory National Youth Service Scheme.

News

Gombe Wins Northeast Quiz Competition On Legislature, Democracy

Published

1 day ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Gombe State has emerged as the winner at the 2025 North East Zonal Quiz Competition on legislature and democracy organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) for senior secondary schools across Northeast on Friday.

Speaking before the commencement of the 2025 edition of the zonal debate which focuses on the legislature, democracy and governance, the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said the exercise was to deepen the knowledge of legislative and democratic governance among secondary school students and youth.

According to him, it was also to broaden their knowledge on the history, practice and procedure of the legislature and encourage deeper understanding of civic and democratic governance.

The competition, he added, would stimulate the interest of the young students in politics and make them more proactive in matters relating to the legislature and democracy.

He explained that enhancing the knowledge of young Nigerians in the legislature would not only foster an inclusive and participatory legislature in Nigeria but would also serve as an avenue for citizen engagement in the legislative process.

Represented by Mr Jeremiah Agada, NILDS Northeast Zonal Quiz Coordinator, Sulaiman added that the quiz competition would take place in all the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“It is also to inspire young Nigerians to cultivate the interest to participate in legislative governance.

“This 10th edition of the competition is therefore the fourth time the competition has been held at the national level.

“As the 2025 NILDS Zonal quiz competition is declared open, I therefore urge all competing students and their teachers to abide by the rules of the game so that the desired objectives of the competition are achieved,” he said.

Also speaking, the Bauchi State’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Muhammed Lawal, said the exercise was a welcome development in the circle of education, adding that it was a ground where students in the zone could be tested among other students in the country.

“This will enable us to improve the quality of our delivery in our various schools to our teeming students across the zone.

“I want them to take it upon themselves that in an engagement like this, there is no loser. You put in your best, and if at the end of the day, you don’t make it up to the top, your efforts will be crowned.

“I hope this will be well covered because it will stimulate other schools to be part of and perform better so that they can come up to this level as well,” he said.

Mohammed appreciated the commitment of teachers and moderators who coached the students to fully participate in the competition and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to revamping the education sector under Gov. Bala Mohammad’s leadership.

Announcing the winner of the competition, the Quiz Master Mr. Lucky Tongs, announced Gombe State as the overall winner of the debate with 75 points

He also announced Taraba State as the first runner up with 55 points and Yobe State as the third position with 50 points, adding that the winner is expected to represent the Northeast sub-region at the National competition in Abuja.

Other states that participated in the competition included Adamawa and Bauchi.