Prof. Edem Archibong Eniang
Chairman of the BRACED Tourism Promotion and Development Initiative (BTPDI) and Convener/Founder of the Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER), Dr. Piriye Kiyaramo, has hailed Prof. Edem Archibong Eniang as Nigeria’s sole representative at the inaugural World Congress on Snakes in Sri Lanka.
In a birthday message to Prof. Eniang, Executive Director of the Biodiversity Preservation Centre (BPC) and distinguished Professor of Wildlife Resources Management at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Kiyaramo described him as a prominent Nigerian conservationist who has devoted over three decades to herpetology, primate conservation and the protection of endangered species.
Born on October 1, 1969, Prof. Eniang is listed among global experts convening in Kandy, Sri Lanka, for the historic first-ever World Congress on Snakes (WCS 2026) scheduled from October 1-4, 2026.
The landmark congress, holding at the Grand Kandyan Hotel in Kandy — Sri Lanka’s cultural capital, is the first international conference dedicated entirely to snake biology, conservation and public health. It brings together over 500 researchers, ophiologists and medical experts from 25 countries, including more than 300 international scientists and over 100 local researchers.
Dr. Kiyaramo noted that Sri Lanka was selected as host nation for its extraordinary reptilian diversity, being home to 112 snake species, over 56% of which are endemic and found nowhere else on Earth.
According to the Congress Chairperson and global authority on herpetology, Prof. Anslem de Silva, “This congress establishes Sri Lanka as the epicenter of global snake research and conservation policy.”
The four-day event will feature plenaries, symposia, workshops and field excursions across 12 thematic areas, including snake biology and evolution, human-snake coexistence, snakebite management and toxicology, conservation genomics, AI and citizen science, and climate change challenges.
Dr. Kiyaramo stated that the participation of Prof. Eniang, who is also a Board Member of BRACED Tourism Promotion & Development Initiative (BTPDI) and Nigeria’s leading herpetologist, at such a prestigious global gathering is a source of pride not only for BTPDI, Akwa Ibom State and the Niger Delta, but for Nigeria and Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER). It underscores the relevance of African expertise in addressing the global snakebite crisis, a neglected tropical disease that kills over 100,000 people annually, and in advancing biodiversity conservation.
He wished Prof. Eniang a happy 57th birthday in Sri Lanka and a successful and impactful representation at the World Congress.
