Charcoal Nigeria – Federal Ministry of Environment to Ban Charcoal Export from Nigeria
stockpile of illegal charcoal trade in Nigeria
The Minister of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, is leading a campaign to ban the export of charcoal from Nigeria. The main objective of this move is to reduce deforestation, which is contributing to climate change and putting human survival and livelihoods at risk. The Nigerian government is supporting this campaign as it will help the country fulfil its obligations under the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) enforces the National Environmental (Control of Charcoal Production Export) Regulations 2014, which only grants charcoal production permits to producers who have a reforestation and rehabilitation plan for the area where the charcoal will be derived or produced. While there is currently a ban on the export of charcoal in Nigeria, local commercial production is allowed under the law. Dr Abubakar spoke at a two-day South West regional workshop on climate change in Lagos, where he condemned the practice of open burning of confiscated goods by government agencies. He suggested that such goods could be recycled and converted into useful materials instead. The Minister also highlighted that the government is implementing policies and initiatives to address climate change issues, such as reviving Lake Chad, increasing forest cover, deploying smart renewable energy solutions, halting and reversing desertification and land degradation, and engaging youths in climate governance. The Ministry is currently reviewing the National Policy on Climate Change and has received support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to review the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and prepare the Technology Needs Assessment. Furthermore, the government has embraced the issuance of Green Bonds to finance green projects and redirect financial flows in the economy by greening the Federal budget and capital market. The Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ibukun Odusote, also highlighted that the workshop aims to create awareness of climate change, build capacity for accessing climate funds, and report climate change interventions at the sub-national level.
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