Environment Minister Urges Charcoal Dealers to Back Sustainable Forestry Drive
Charcoal dealers and forestry practitioners have been urged by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal, to take up sustainable methods and throw their weight behind federal efforts to roll back deforestation and repair degraded forest landscapes across Nigeria.
The call came in Ibadan during the flag-off of the 2026 Operation One Million Trees Tree Planting Programme, staged by the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants. The event was held at the University of Ibadan's Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources.
Forestry practitioners, charcoal merchants, environmentalists, students, regulators and other stakeholders attended the gathering, which is designed to advance afforestation and push for responsible management of the country's forest resources.
Addressing the event, Lawal, who was represented by Dr Osakwe Igbinosa, listed tree planting among the most workable steps for tackling climate change, reversing deforestation, restoring biodiversity, controlling desertification and making the nation's ecosystems more resilient.
He observed that Nigeria's forests deliver essential environmental, social and economic gains, among them biodiversity conservation, water resource regulation and livelihoods for millions of Nigerians, adding that guarding them has to be a shared duty.
While restating the Federal Ministry of Environment's commitment to sustainable forest management, the minister pointed to programmes crafted to restore degraded forests, raise forest cover and promote climate resilience nationwide.
He recalled that on June 8, 2026, the ministry flagged off the 2026 National Afforestation Programme, which forms part of implementing the Federal Government's Executive Order banning the export of wood and charcoal. That national initiative, he said, demonstrates government's resolve to restore degraded forests, increase Nigeria's forest cover and guarantee sustainable management of forest resources.
Other ministry efforts he highlighted include the Sovereign Green Bond Afforestation Programme, the National Greening of Cities and Urban Areas for Climate Change Mitigation, agroforestry initiatives, protection of erosion-prone areas and marginal lands, and programmes centred on stakeholder and community engagement.
According to the minister, Operation One Million Trees dovetails with government's wider environmental agenda, and he called on stakeholders to ensure forestry activities comply with existing laws, environmental regulations and government policies.
He further argued that the worth of afforestation cannot be judged by counting seedlings alone, but by how many of them survive and mature into healthy forests.
"Tree planting is not just about putting seedlings into the soil. The real measure of success is their survival and growth into healthy forests," the minister said.
For Mr Adeshola Adebowale Idowu, Chairman of the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants, the event conveyed an unambiguous message to everyone in the charcoal trade and to Nigerians at large.
Idowu called on stakeholders to cultivate the practice of replacing trees removed from the environment, and urged Nigerians to plant trees in their homes and communities. He threw his support behind planting several trees for every single one cut down, noting that trees are indispensable to human life because many products society relies on come from them.
He also flagged technology as a vital element of modern forest protection, mentioning the prospect of using drones to plant seedlings in areas that are hard to reach. In his view, technology could quicken afforestation substantially, since drones can access places that people may find difficult or dangerous to get to.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ademola Aderinto, praised Governor Seyi Makinde and commended his environmental policies, which he said encourage afforestation as an effective weapon against climate change. He gave assurances that tree cutting is discouraged in the state and that offenders face penalties.
Also speaking, Florence Omolola, Chief Strategy Officer of FOJ Multidynamic Interchange Nigeria Limited, described the event as part of a wider push to ensure the charcoal business runs sustainably and complies with environmental regulations.
Omolola said the ceremonial flag-off marked the start of an initiative intended to get charcoal merchants involved in the fight against deforestation and environmental degradation. She explained that the three-day programme was structured around sensitisation, youth engagement, tree planting and verification of the afforestation claims made by participants.
The opening day, she said, featured a youth festival and inter-departmental competitions involving students of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan. Those youth-focused activities were meant to expose students to the value of environmental protection and technology-driven solutions while drawing them in as active defenders of the country's natural resources, she said. Awards and recognition for competition winners also formed part of the programme's activities, she added.
According to Omolola, the next phase will involve on-site verification of the afforestation activities, with environmentalists, journalists, regulators, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, auditors and other independent stakeholders expected to take part. The verification, she explained, is intended to produce physical evidence of the trees planted and to bolster transparency around the programme.
She acknowledged the Federal Ministry of Environment's backing, noting that the minister had deployed a five-member delegation to support the programme and ensure its activities complied with established regulations. She appealed for continued government support for sustainable forestry initiatives, stressing that collective efforts are needed to achieve meaningful environmental restoration.
"Operation One Million Trees is just the beginning," she said, expressing optimism that the initiative would expand beyond its present target in subsequent years.
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