Nigeria, April 2 -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has urged Nigerian youths to take a leading role in protecting the country's wildlife, stressing that conservation is critical to environmental sustainability, economic stability, and national security.

The agency made the call on Wednesday during an event to commemorate World Wildlife Day 2026 at the United Nations House in Abuja.

World Wildlife Day was proclaimed on 20 December 2013 at the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly, designating 3 March as a global day to celebrate and raise awareness about wild fauna and flora.

The date also marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna...