Serah Larai Mohammed

Driving meaningful change in policy execution and organisational excellence.

“Beyond recognition, the true value of my AIG PLP experience is that it equipped me with practical tools for lasting impact. Whether in policy execution, stakeholder collaboration, or driving organisational excellence, I am now better positioned to drive meaningful change that extends far beyond my immediate role.” -Serah Larai Mohammed, Assistant Chief Marine Environment Management Officer, NIMASA  

Serah Larai Mohammed currently serves as the Assistant Chief Marine Environment Management Officer at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). 

With a strong desire to grow beyond instinctive leadership and gain the structured, strategic tools needed to lead effectively in the public sector, she applied for the AIG Public Leaders Programme. 

“As Head of the Marine Environment Management Unit at NIMASA, I became increasingly aware of how much more impactful I could be with advanced leadership tools. I needed a structured programme to elevate my leadership to a more strategic and transformational level,” she explained. 

Since completing the AIG PLP programme, Serah has received key recognition awards within her organisation, which have also positioned her for further opportunities and recognition. 

"The tools and networks from AIG PLP directly helped me excel in my role. This recognition has opened doors for promotion and significantly increased my influence within the organisation," she said. 

Beyond the recognition, the AIG PLP equipped her with practical skills to drive meaningful change in policy execution and organisational excellence. 

Speaking about her reform initiative, Serah described her efforts to tackle one of Nigeria’s silent threats—Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT)—through the maritime sector. Nigeria is a major transit hub for IWT, with traffickers exploiting weak enforcement systems to move 70–90% of contraband wildlife by sea. This not only fuels biodiversity loss but also threatens maritime security and tarnishes Nigeria’s global reputation. 

“Maritime shipping, which accounts for 70–90% of illegal wildlife trade by volume, is favoured by traffickers due to its cost-efficiency, high-volume capacity, and low interception risk. These vulnerabilities are exploited through falsified documentation, weak regulatory enforcement, and inter-agency gaps—undermining global conservation efforts and maritime integrity,” she said. 

Serah began her work with an organisational pre-assessment survey that revealed another layer to the problem. She found that 85% of staff had never heard of illegal wildlife trade, and 90% had never received training on how to prevent it. This lack of institutional readiness meant that critical commitments and international guidelines to protect endangered species were largely unenforced. 

To address this gap, she created a comprehensive training manual designed specifically to teach NIMASA staff how to identify, report, and combat illegal wildlife trade. 

“My reform initiative directly equips officers with the skills and knowledge they need to detect, recognise, and respond to wildlife trafficking. It transforms awareness into action and positions NIMASA as a frontline enforcer of international conventions,” she explained. 

The results were immediate. After just one training session, staff knowledge increased from 28.6% to 95.2%, understanding of international wildlife laws improved, and nearly all participants became capable of spotting and reporting suspicious activities. 

The training manual has now been recommended for rollout across all NIMASA offices nationwide, creating a network of trained officers ready to protect Nigeria’s waters from wildlife criminals. 

The impact of the AIG PLP is far-reaching. Through her reform initiative, Serah is helping Nigeria become a leader in maritime security and wildlife protection, rather than a weak link, vulnerable to exploitation. Thanks to this AIG PLP project, Nigeria is better equipped to stop wildlife trafficking, protect endangered species, secure its waterways, and meet international conservation commitments.