The National Association of Charcoal Producers, Dealers, Exporters and Afforestation of Nigeria (NACPDEAN) says it is committed to sustainable forest development to address the high forest deficit in Nigeria.

The president of the association, Babatunde Edu, said this on Saturday in Kaduna during the inauguration of Kaduna state officials of the association.

He said their focus is to ensure the planting of trees and the establishment of more private indigenous plantations of economic trees.

Mr Edu added that the association was also working towards creating industrial alternative charcoal not made from wood.

According to him, though Nigeria has earned over $73.2 million in charcoal trade as of 2019, its focus is to ensure a sustainable environment.

“It is important to inform you of the high level of forest deficit gaps in Nigeria according to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“Also, the Global Forest Watch said that, between 2001 and 2021, Nigeria lost 1.14 million hectares of tree cover as a result of several activities like industrial agriculture and food, which accounts for 80% of deforestation.

“Logging, petroleum exploration, urban development, forest burning, grazing and other activities are involved in deforestation as well,” he stated.

He explained that from 1960 to the early 70s when attention was paid to the sector, the export of wood products and agricultural commodities provided more than 70 per cent of the country’s GDP.

He said the global wood charcoal market revenue amounted to $24.2 billion in 2018 and has remained relatively unchanged.

According to him, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) ranked Nigeria eighth in global wood charcoal consumption in 2019.

Mr Edu believes that with proper planning, Nigeria will earn much foreign exchange from the global charcoal market without hurting the environment.

In his remarks, the secretary-general of NACPDEAN, Kingsley Amadi, appealed to the Kaduna state government to facilitate stakeholders’ compliance to afforestation policy.

(NAN)