FG Declares Immediate Ban on Wood and Charcoal Exports to Curb Deforestation

This policy targeted at preserving Nigeria’s forest.

President Bola Tinubu has signed a presidential executive order prohibiting the exportation of wood, charcoal, and related products from Nigeria, the Federal Government announced Wednesday.

Environment Minister Alhaji Balarabe Abbas-Lawal unveiled the “Presidential Executive Order on Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025” during the 18th National Council on Environment meeting in Katsina State.

The comprehensive ban takes immediate effect across the country, targeting all wood-based exports, including charcoal and allied forest products. The order aims to address Nigeria’s environmental challenges, particularly deforestation and forest degradation.

According to the executive order, forest resources encompass all trees, vegetation, and associated biodiversity within Nigeria’s forested areas. The directive defines illegal logging as the unauthorised harvesting, transporting, processing, buying, or selling of timber and forest products in violation of Nigerian laws.

Minister Abbas-Lawal clarified the management structure of Nigeria’s forests, noting that state governments control forests within their territories, while the Federal Government oversees national parks.

The announcement came during a council meeting themed “Tackling the triple planetary crises: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution for sustainable development in Nigeria.”

Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda, represented by Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal-Jobe, pledged full enforcement of the executive order and commended the ministry for choosing the state to host the environmental council meeting.

The ban represents a significant policy shift aimed at preserving Nigeria’s forest cover and combating environmental degradation threatening the country’s ecosystems.