Ban on tree felling, charcoal production still in force — Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Government has warned residents that the ban on the felling of trees and the production and sale of charcoal remains in force across the state’s 13 local government areas, stressing that violators would face stiff penalties.

The government said the warning was part of efforts to combat the effects of climate change, which it said had contributed to extreme weather conditions and environmental degradation.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Ede Yakubu, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital.

Yakubu said the ban was introduced because of the high rate of deforestation caused by indiscriminate tree felling and the conversion of wood into charcoal, which he said had exposed the environment to excessive heat and pollution.

“As regards the charcoal ban, you will realise that the whole world is experiencing climate change. Climate change is with us, and it is a result of human activities that have intentionally destroyed our environment.

“The environment is natural; it does not change on its own. It is our activities that are affecting it negatively. What we are experiencing now—flooding, hot weather and land degradation—is a result of our activities that have negatively affected the environment,” he said.

The permanent secretary explained that the ministry was responsible for protecting the environment and safeguarding residents from environment-related diseases.

He lamented that charcoal production had become a thriving business, leading to widespread exploitation of the state’s forests.

“We realised in the past that people embraced charcoal production as a business. It became a major source of income, and people exploited our forests. They cut down trees indiscriminately, and because of that, our land became degraded,” he said.

Yakubu reiterated that the state government had outlawed charcoal production and warned residents against entering forests to cut trees for the purpose of making charcoal.

He added that forest guards and other security personnel had been enforcing the ban by arresting offenders and prosecuting them in accordance with environmental laws.

“If we don’t act now, climate change will become worse. Our remaining forest reserves will be exploited and destroyed, exposing us to even greater environmental dangers,” he said.

Speaking on efforts to restore degraded forests, Yakubu said the ministry was collaborating with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project, a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at restoring degraded land and rehabilitating exploited forests.

“We are now replanting trees to restore our green environment. You will recall that during the last World Environment Day celebration in Nasarawa State about two months ago, we deliberately planted trees. You can already see the trees we planted within the State Secretariat premises,” he added.