Where are the charcoal exporters in
Nigeria? Have you heard that in order to check deforestation, the Minister,
Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr.
Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, has started promoting a move to ban the export
of charcoal?
The Minister has already met with
senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance on placing charcoal on
lists of ban items. He disclosed that the campaign is receiving favourable
attention by the government in attempt to reduce climate change impacts,
already threatening the survival and livelihoods of people. It will also assist
the government to fulfill the country’s obligation under the Paris Agreement
and actualization of goals of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
Currently, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency
(NESREA) enforces the provisions of the National Environmental (Control of
Charcoal Production Export) Regulations 2014.The regulation also provides that,
‘a person shall not be granted a permit for charcoal production without having
a reforestation and rehabilitation plan for the area from where the charcoal
will be derived or produced.
In Nigeria, there is a ban on
production of charcoal for export, but local commercial production is allowed
within the ambits of the law. Indiscriminate destruction of forests for the
production of charcoal leads to depletion of forest resources and is one of the
causes of climate change.
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