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(Image by The New York Times)
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) has joined the rest of the world to mourn the passage of Dame Jane Goodall.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, Dame Goodall was described as someone “whose leadership transformed our understanding of the natural world and our place within it.”
Dame Goodall was a pioneer in the field of primatology. Her groundbreaking research observing wild chimpanzees challenged the belief of the time of ‘man as the toolmaker’ and proved that other species could use and develop tools.
Over a 65-year career, her research taught the world how similar chimpanzees are to humans, observing their complex social dynamics. Just like humans, they can be both peaceful and compassionate, as well as violent and cruel.
Dame Goodall research also helped to dismantle the idea of human exceptionalism and raised people’s collective understanding of how humans belong to and rely on the natural world.
Throughout her lifetime, she remained a committed advocate, using her platform to raise awareness of the impacts of human population growth on the environment.
In addition to her scientific research, Dame Goodall published several memoirs and remained an active lecturer throughout her career, travelling extensively to promote conservation and climate action.
She was an honorary member of the World Future Council. Among other honors, she was the recipient of the Kyoto Prize, the Templeton Prize, and was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025. She was on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project from 2022 until her death.
CISLAC/TI-Nigeria described Dame Goodall as one of the brightest minds in population science, and honor not only her groundbreaking contributions to the field but also her unwavering commitment to understanding human population growth on the environment.
“Without doubt, Goodall work will in generations to come reshape how we see the world, its people, patterns, and possibilities, while her legacy will endure through the countless lives it touched, the policies informed, and the students inspired,” the statement says.
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