The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the lesser spot-nosed guenon as Near Threatened (IUCN, 2017). The species is facing serious threats from habitat loss and hunting. Although a generally resilient species that adapts to a wide variety of degraded habitats, uncontrolled hunting is taking its toll. It is the primary threat to the lesser spot-nosed monkey. Due to its small body size, lesser spot-nosed guenons were not major targets of hunting until recently. However, because the populations of larger-bodied primates, such as the colobines and mangabeys, have been greatly reduced or even extirpated from many forests by uncontrolled hunting, even this small-bodied monkey is now a target for hunters. Hunting is increasingly targeting smaller-bodied primates such as lesser spot-nosed monkeys throughout it range countries.

Like most other primates, they are also beginning to suffer the effects of habitat loss as humans expand further and further into their territory. Habitat loss, habitat degradation, and habitat fragmentation are other threat factors. In Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, large-scale and small-scale conversion of forests into cash-crop plantations have reduced the forest cover by about 15% of the former extent in the last twenty years. Mining for gold, diamonds, bauxite, and other minerals also threatens the species’ survival.

As logging roads start to expand into the forests, guenons find themselves more and more the target of the illegal bushmeat trade. Guenon mothers have been killed and their babies kept as pets.

Unless conservation efforts within its range improve significantly the lesser spot-nose monkey is likely to qualify for a Vulnerable threat status before long, and in some parts of its range it is already Endangered. In Togo, in particular, it probably qualifies already for Vulnerable status and may be nationally Endangered.