A new Pan-African wildlife television series, Wild Africa, premieres on Channels Television on Saturday, August 15, bringing stories of Africa’s endangered wildlife, conservation heroes and natural heritage to Nigerian audiences.

The 13-part magazine-style series, created specifically for African audiences, combines entertainment and education with a strong conservation message, highlighting the urgent need to protect the continent’s wildlife and natural habitats.

Produced in Cape Town, South Africa, by conservation communications organisation Wild Africa, with support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Tammy Estrada Strome Foundation, the programme will air new episodes weekly on Saturdays.

The series will be broadcast at 5:30 p.m. WAT on DStv and 8:30 p.m. WAT, with repeat broadcasts on Channel 420 on DStv. It will also air on terrestrial television on UHF Channel 39. In the United Kingdom, the programme will be available on the Sky UK platform, Channel 515.

Wild Africa combines short documentaries with celebrity wildlife experiences, interviews and studio segments. It is hosted by Nigerian wildlife veterinarian Dr Mark Ofua, South African freediver and ocean advocate Zandile Ndhlovu, and Zimbabwean television presenter Rumbie Takawira.

Across its 13 episodes, the programme takes viewers on a journey through different parts of Africa to meet individuals and communities working to protect some of the continent’s most threatened species.

Stories include sea turtle rescue efforts in Nigeria, elephant conservation in Kenya alongside Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, efforts to protect the rare Cross River gorilla, community rangers safeguarding desert rhinos in Namibia, mountain gorilla conservation in Rwanda and efforts to protect bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nigeria receives particular attention, with episodes highlighting the country’s dwindling forest elephant population, manatee and sea turtle rescue operations, forest protection initiatives and the campaign to save the pangolin, described as the world’s most trafficked mammal.

According to the statement, Nigeria has lost more than 70 per cent of its elephant population over the past three decades, with numbers declining from an estimated 1,200–1,500 in 1991 to about 300–400 today.

The country has also emerged as a major global transit hub for illegal ivory and pangolin scales, accounting for nearly a quarter of seized ivory and more than half of global pangolin scale seizures between 2016 and 2019.

Several prominent African celebrities and public figures feature in the series, including Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Djimon Hounsou, Laycon and Aproko Doctor.

General Manager of Channels Television, Kingsley Uranta, said the partnership with Wild Africa reflected the broadcaster’s commitment to promoting African stories and the continent’s natural heritage.

“As Africa’s most awarded broadcaster, Channels Television is proud to partner with Wild Africa in bringing the Pan African Wildlife Series to audiences across the continent and beyond,” Uranta said.

He added that the partnership would use television to celebrate Africa’s wildlife, promote conservation and inspire greater appreciation of ecosystems critical to the continent’s future.

Series Producer and Wild Africa Chief Executive Officer, Peter Knights OBE, said wildlife conservation was also critical to Africa’s economy, noting that wildlife remains a major attraction for international tourists.

“Africa has the greatest wildlife spectacle on the planet, which is the attraction for 80 per cent of visiting tourists,” Knights said.

He said protecting wildlife was therefore vital to African economies, jobs and natural heritage, adding that the series was designed to celebrate people involved in the difficult task of conservation while informing and entertaining viewers.

For Dr Mark Ofua, bringing conservation stories to mainstream Nigerian television was important because public understanding of the relationship between people and nature was essential to protecting endangered species.

“Africa has extraordinary wildlife, but many of these species are disappearing before people have had the opportunity to truly know them,” Ofua said.

He expressed hope that the programme would particularly inspire young Nigerians to view wildlife as part of their heritage and recognise their role in protecting it.

Wild Africa’s West Africa Director, Linus Unah, described the Channels Television premiere as an important step towards making conservation a mainstream public conversation in Nigeria.

“This series is a remarkable effort to help us understand and appreciate everything being done to protect our wildlife and their habitats,” Unah said.

He added that the programme should remind audiences of their responsibility to preserve the country’s remaining wildlife for future generations.

The Nigerian premiere forms part of a wider Pan-African rollout. The series is already airing in Zimbabwe and Namibia and is scheduled to reach audiences in South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Botswana and Zambia.

With stories rooted in African communities and conservation efforts, Wild Africa seeks to bring the continent’s environmental challenges and successes into homes across Africa while encouraging a new generation to take greater interest in protecting its natural heritage.

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