FG warns against deforestation and illegal forest activities

Thursday, October 1, 2026 - The Federal Government has urged charcoal merchants and other stakeholders in the forestry and agricultural sectors to adopt sustainable practices and support efforts to reverse deforestation and restore Nigeria’s degraded forests.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, gave the charge on Wednesday at the flag-off of the 2026 Operation One Million Trees programme organised by the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan.

Lawal, who was represented by Dr Osakwe Igbinosa, said deforestation posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s environment and economic development, stressing the need for urgent measures to prevent further degradation of the nation’s forests.

He identified tree planting as a critical measure for combating climate change, restoring biodiversity, checking desertification and strengthening the resilience of Nigeria’s ecosystems.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Environment is implementing several afforestation and forest restoration initiatives, including the 2026 National Afforestation Programme, Sovereign Green Bond Afforestation Programme and the National Greening of Cities and Urban Areas initiative.

He said the Operation One Million Trees programme complemented the government’s environmental agenda, urging participants to comply with existing forestry laws and regulations.

Lawal stressed that the success of afforestation efforts should not be measured by the number of seedlings planted but by their survival and growth into healthy trees.

“Tree planting is not just about putting seedlings into the soil. The real measure of success is their survival and growth into healthy forests,” he said.

The Chairman of the association, Adeshola Idowu, urged charcoal merchants and Nigerians to replace trees removed from the environment, advocating the planting of several trees for every tree felled.

Idowu also called for increased use of technology, including drones, to accelerate tree planting in difficult-to-reach locations.

Speaking at the event, the Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Ademola Aderinto, described climate change as a global challenge, warning that continued poor environmental practices could trigger severe waste management and climate crises.

“Climate change is dealing with every one of us globally. No one is exempt. In the next 15 years, it is projected we will be having a global waste management crisis. Within the next 20 years, we will be having a serious global climate change crisis if nothing is done,” Aderinto warned.

He identified indiscriminate tree felling for land development, housing and business activities as major threats to biodiversity and food security.

The commissioner urged residents and developers to plant more trees whenever trees were removed for legitimate purposes, rather than replacing them on a one-for-one basis.

“If you cut down one tree for any legitimate purpose, plant back more. It is no longer one for one. You cut down one, plant two, three, four back.

“Why take down a tree if there is no need? Why not design your building with the tree in the layout?” he queried.

Aderinto also urged residents to cultivate the habit of planting trees in their immediate surroundings.

“Plant at least one tree where you live, where you walk and where you work,” he appealed.

Earlier, the Dean, Faculty of Renewable and Natural Resources, University of Ibadan, Prof. Joke Akinyeleru, said the second year of the one-million-tree commitment demonstrated the faculty’s determination to take practical steps towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to climate action.

The association, alongside its partners, including Florence Omolola of FOJ Multidynamic and Azeez Rasaq of Rasbat International Resources Limited, said the initiative was designed to promote sustainable charcoal production and ensure that charcoal businesses complied with Federal Ministry of Environment regulations.

They disclosed that technology, including drone seeding, would be deployed to expand tree planting and improve forest protection.

The Chief Strategy Officer of FOJ Multidynamic Interchange Nigeria Limited, Omolola, said the three-day programme was designed to promote sustainable charcoal production through sensitisation, youth engagement, tree planting and independent verification.