The federal government has raised concerns over the rising threat charcoal production poses to Nigeria’s forests, urging immediate action to protect the environment.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Dr. Aishetu Ndayako, Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Project Office, warned that unregulated charcoal activities are fuelling deforestation and biodiversity loss.
“Trees are being cut down without efforts to replace them,” she said, calling for stronger regulation and a nationwide shift to cleaner energy options like LPG and solar cookstoves.
The dialogue, organised by the Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change (CREACC-NG), highlighted Nigeria’s ranking as Africa’s top charcoal producer—losing an estimated 1.5 million trees daily.
CREACC-NG’s Executive Director, Usman Muhammad, said the event marked a joint step toward more sustainable practices.
Also speaking, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, stressed the need for environmental education in schools and urged support for training charcoal producers on eco-friendly methods.
