Is there any reason why no Nigerian state governor has opened a crocodile farm within his jurisdiction 

Ayo Akinfe 

[1] An intellectually lazy people will always be an impoverished people. Why has Nigeria not cashed in on the commercial opportunities the crocodile provides? 

[2] Are Nigerians aware of the fact that in Louisiana alone, alligator farming is a $60m to $70m industry annually? I am a big fan of crocodiles simply because they are the oldest living animal we know. They co-existed with the dinosaurs and are still standing 

[3] Driven by diminishing stocks of wild crocodiles which have been ruthlessly hunted to near extinction at one time, this industry has boomed. Man’s greed is such an unfortunate thing. How can we kill one of nature’s most cherished assets. Do you know dinosaurs were extinct for about 2m years before the arrival of man, so we owe crocodiles some respect for bridging the gap for us 

[4] Do you know that the Nile crocodile is found in ranches all over Africa. I cannot believe that we do not have one such farm in Nigeria 

[5] Every zoo on planet earth should come to Nigeria to buy their crocodiles from dedicated farms 

[6] Can you also imagine the number of tourists a crocodile farm would attract in Nigeria 

[7] Crocodiles can be housed in a number of ways depending on the goals of the rearing facility. Large areas of a lake or marsh can be enclosed for many individuals or a smaller area can be created for fewer individuals. Basically, any area in Nigeria with a lake can create a crocodile sanctuary 

[8] We have to be careful, however, as there have been reports of crocodiles escaping from farms during flooding. In 2013, approximately 15,000 crocodiles were released into the Limpopo River from flood gates at the nearby Rakwena Crocodile Farm

[9] Now, morally, I have a problem with killing crocodiles for luxury handbags and shoes. French fashion brand Hermès for instance wants to build one of Australia’s biggest crocodile farms in the Northern Territory that would hold up to 50,000 saltwater crocodiles to be turned into luxury goods such as handbags and shoes. I for one will never back this 

[10] In environmentally sound climes, crocodile farms are part of a butchery disposal programme whereby the waste from butchers is used to feed them every day. Which governor is going to encourage the opening of such an establishment in his state?