Defining Priority Species for Nigeria
To develop a robust and policy-relevant priority species list for Nigeria, we used a structured, multi-stage approach integrating global prioritization frameworks, national policy, and expert consultation.
Our starting point was a globally recognized species prioritization framework — the Reverse the Red Target 4 (RTR T4) protocol — applied to all IUCN Red List threatened species occurring in Nigeria. The protocol scores and ranks species against four criteria: whether they face extinction risk, are in decline, have a restricted range or population, and have a degree of endemism in Nigeria. Species with higher Nigerian endemism score highest, ensuring the list reflects where Nigeria’s conservation responsibility is greatest.
From the 468 highest-ranked RTR T4 species, we filtered for strict Nigerian endemics (56 species), then added 25 further species from Nigeria’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) not already captured, reaching 81 species. Following validation against the IUCN Red List, near-endemic species — those occurring in Nigeria and just one other country — were added using a Priority 1 score threshold. Finally, a small number of species of particular national significance were included through expert consultation, among them Nigeria’s national bird(s), the Black-crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina), and the Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus).
The result is a final list of 107 priority species shown below, reflecting Nigeria’s conservation commitments across endemic, near-endemic, and nationally important wildlife.
PRIORITY SPECIES LIST
🔴 Tier 1 — Nigerian Endemic RTR Species
1 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Enteromius clauseni | | CR | Native
2 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Fundulopanchax scheeli | Scheeli Killifish | CR | Native
3 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Parauchenoglanis buettikoferi | | CR | Native
4 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Synodontis guttatus | | CR | Native
5 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Synodontis xiphias | | CR | Native
6 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Epiplatys biafranus | | EN | Native
7 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Fundulopanchax arnoldi | Arnold’s Killi | EN | Native
8 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Phractura ansorgii | African Whiptailed Catfish | EN | Native
9 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Notoglanidium akiri | | EN | Native
10 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Ctenopoma nebulosum | | EN | Native
11 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Epiplatys longiventralis | Ogoin | EN | Native
12 | AMPHIBIA | Phrynobatrachus danko | Danko Puddle Frog | EN | Native
13 | INSECTA | Neurolestes nigeriensis | Gamble’s Flatwing | CR | Native
14 | INSECTA | Pentaphlebia gamblesi | Gambles’s Relic | CR | Native
15 | INSECTA | Cardiocondyla zoserka | | VU | Native
16 | LILIOPSIDA | Bulbophyllum apertiflorum | | CR | Native
17 | LILIOPSIDA | Habenaria phylacocheira | | CR | Native
18 | LILIOPSIDA | Habenaria prionocraspedon | | VU | Native
19 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Cola philipi-jonesii | | CR | Native
20 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Clerodendrum tomentellum | | EN | Native
21 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Gaertnera eketensis | | EN | Native
22 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Anisophyllea obanica | | EN | Native
23 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Cola glabra | Igbere-oko | EN | Native
24 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Synsepalum glycydora | | EN | Native
25 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Cryptosepalum diphyllum | | EN | Native
26 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Talbotiella eketensis | | EN | Native
27 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Englerodendron obanense | | VU | Native
28 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Monodora unwinii | | VU | Native
29 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Belonophora talbotii | | VU | Native
30 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Cola gigas | | VU | Native
31 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Drypetes obanensis | | VU | Native
32 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Ixora nigerica | | VU | Native
33 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Piptostigma giganteum | | VU | Native
34 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Scaphopetalum parvifolium | | VU | Native
35 | MALACOSTRACA | Desmocaris bislineata | | EN | Native
36 | MALACOSTRACA | Euryrhynchina edingtonae | | EN | Native
🟠 Tier 2 — NBSAP & Expert Selected Species
37 | AMPHIBIA | Sclerophrys perreti | Perret’s toad | CR | Native
38 | AVES | Estrilda poliopareia | Anambra waxbill | NT | Endemic
39 | AVES | Gyps africanus | White-backed vulture | CR | Native
40 | AVES | Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis | Rock firefinch | LC | Endemic
41 | AVES | Malimbus ibadanensis | Ibadan malimbe | EN | Endemic
42 | AVES | Necrosyrtes monachus | Hooded vulture | CR | Native
43 | AVES | Psittacus erithacus | African grey parrot | EN | Native
44 | AVES | Vidua maryae | Jos Plateau indigobird | LC | Endemic
45 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Fundulopanchax powelli | Lampeye | CR | Endemic
46 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Garra trewavasae | Trewavas’ Garra | CR | Endemic
47 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Neolebias powelli | Domino neolebias | CR | Endemic
48 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Alestopetersius smykalai | Blue diamond tetra | EN | Endemic
49 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Aphyosemion deltaense | Delta killifish | Not stated | Endemic
50 | ACTINOPTERYGII | Arnoldichthys spilopterus | Niger tetra | EN | Endemic
51 | MAMMALIA | Cercopithecus sclateri | Sclater’s guenon | EN | Endemic
52 | MAMMALIA | Choeropsis liberiensis | Pygmy hippopotamus | EN | Native
53 | MAMMALIA | Crocidura longipes | Savanna swamp shrew | DD | Endemic
54 | MAMMALIA | Dasymys foxi | Fox’s shaggy rat | DD | Endemic
55 | MAMMALIA | Gorilla gorilla diehli | Cross River gorilla | CR | Native
56 | MAMMALIA | Loxodonta africana | African elephant | EN | Native
57 | MAMMALIA | Lycaon pictus | African wild dog | EN | Native
58 | MAMMALIA | Mandrillus leucophaeus | Drill Monkey | EN | Native
59 | MAMMALIA | Manis tricuspis | Tree pangolin | EN | Native
60 | MAMMALIA | Pan troglodytes ellioti | Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee | EN | Native
61 | MAMMALIA | Panthera leo | Lion | VU | Native
62 | MAMMALIA | Phataginus spp | Pangolins | EN | Native
63 | MAMMALIA | Piliocolobus epieni | Niger Delta red colobus | CR | Endemic
64 | MAMMALIA | Praomys obscurus | Gotel mountain soft-furred mouse | EN | Endemic
65 | MAMMALIA | Smutsia gigantea | Giant pangolin | EN | Native
66 | MAMMALIA | Trichechus senegalensis | West African manatee | VU | Native
67 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Berlinia hollandii | Holland’s Berlinia | CR | Native
68 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Cassipourea eketensis | Eket Cassipourea | CR | Endemic
69 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Dactyladenia dichotoma | African sour plum | CR | Native
70 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Dactyladenia eketensis | African pear | CR | Endemic
71 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Hymenostegia talbotii | Hymenostegia talbotii | CR | Native
72 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Napoleonaea lutea | Yellow Napoleonaea | CR | Native
73 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Napoleonaea reptans | Creeping Napoleonaea | CR | Native
74 | REPTILIA | Cnemaspis gigas | Perret’s Nigeria gecko | DD | Endemic
75 | REPTILIA | Cynisca nigeriensis | Nigerian Skink | VU | Endemic
76 | REPTILIA | Cynisca gansi | Gansi | CR | Endemic
77 | REPTILIA | Cynisca kigomensis | African garter snake | CR | Endemic
78 | REPTILIA | Mehelya egbensis | Dunger’s file snake | DD | Endemic
79 | REPTILIA | Cnemaspis petrodroma | Nigeria crag gecko | DD | Endemic
🟡 Tier 3 — Near-Endemic / 2-Country Species
80 | AMPHIBIA | Phrynobatrachus schioetzi | Schiøtz’s Puddle Frog | EN | Native
81 | AMPHIBIA | Phrynobatrachus steindachneri | Steindachner’s River Frog | CR | Native
82 | AMPHIBIA | Phrynobatrachus jimzimkusi | Jim Zimkus’ Puddle Frog | CR | Native
83 | AVES | Chlorophoneus kupeensis | Mount Kupe Bushshrike | EN | Native
84 | CHONDRICHTHYES | Fontitrygon garouaensis | Smooth Stingray | CR | Native
85 | GASTROPODA | Gabbiella tchadiensis | | EN | Native
86 | LILIOPSIDA | Diaphananthe lanceolata | | EN | Native
87 | LILIOPSIDA | Bulbophyllum dolabriforme | | EN | Native
88 | LILIOPSIDA | Habenaria linguiformis | | EN | Native
89 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Dovyalis cameroonensis | | CR | Native
90 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Justicia tenuipes | | EN | Native
91 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Raphionacme keayi | | EN | Native
92 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Millettia conraui | | EN | Native
93 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Saxicolella marginalis | | CR | Native
94 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Ledermanniella raynaliorum | | EN | Native
95 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Begonia rubromarginata | | EN | Native
96 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Crossandra obanensis | | EN | Native
97 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Ancistrocladus korupensis | | EN | Native
98 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Beilschmiedia myrciifolia | | EN | Native
99 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Microberlinia bisulcata | | EN | Native
100 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Ceropegia bracteolata | | EN | Native
⚪ Tier 4 — Remaining RTR Species
101 | AVES | Balearica pavonina | Black Crowned Crane | VU | Native
102 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Pterocarpus erinaceus | Kosso | EN | Native
103 | MAGNOLIOPSIDA | Cola nigerica | | VU | Native
104 | MAMMALIA | Caracal aurata | African Golden Cat | VU | Native
105 | AVES | Ceratogymna elata | Yellow-casqued Hornbill | VU | Native
106 | AVES | Bucorvus abyssinicus | Northern Ground-hornbill | VU | Native
107 | AVES | Polemaetus bellicosus | EN | Native
Click here to view the rest of the 468 RTR T4 species for Nigeria
Suggested citation:
IUCN SSC NgSSG (2026) Priority Taxa List 2025. IUCN SSC Nigeria Species Specialist Group. [https://iucnsscnigeriassg.org/nigerias-priority-species-list]