The potentials of DNA Barcoding in
identifying biological specimens and
managing species diversity in Nigeria
Nigerian Biodiversity Status
Vascular Plants:
Total number: 4,715
Total number threatened: 119
Animal:
Total number: 5,291
Total number threatened: 40
Threatened habitats
Forests
Savanna
Mountain
Causes of Threat
•Cultural practices
•Agriculture
•Legal and Illegal Trade in fauna and
flora

Smuggling

Poaching

Lumbering
• Alien /invasive species
Potentials for DNA Barcoding in
Nigeria
Potentials abound in Nigeria for DNA Barcoding
research for sustainable development aimed at
meeting the Millennium Development Goals
(MDG): medicinal plants, biodiversity hotspots,
taxonomic groups of economic importance. There
are also waiting opportunities to benefit from:
Tree-BOL and FISHBOL global initiatives
Facilities available
Some facilities are on ground in some of our
universities and research institutes:
Extraction-PCR
•Gene Bank NACGRAB (National Centre for Genetic
Res. And Biotec.)
•IITA, Ibadan, Seq. Machine?
•IAR Zaria: Seq
•UNILAG: & UI Extractions to PCR
•FHI: National Herbarium with almost 110,000 plant
collections
•NNMDA: Herbarium for Medicinal Plants
Manpower availability
•A quick survey in the country has revealed that there
is adequate manpower availability for DNA Barcoding
research.
•Indeed there are pockets of ongoing individual
research initiatives on animals and plants DNA,
accounting for less than 0.01% of plants and 0.2% of
animals
•The DNA resulting from these research initiatives are
deposited in various DNA gene banks of the
collaborating institutions around the world
Conclusions
•For Nigeria to maximize its potentials in DNA
Barcoding and benefit also from global biodiversity
initiatives, we shall need capacity building-oriented
and policy-driven implementation.
•Nigeria hopes to collaborate through networking
with W/African and central African counterparts
•This is important for the government to fulfil its
obligations to the CBD