Energy Poverty Fueling the Depletion Nigerian Forests!
Nigeria like the rest of the world is currently facing various challenges that pose a threat to both man and his environment, deforestation is one of these problems. According to the FAO, deforestation contributes up to 25% of annual carbon emissions and can lead to desert encroachment, biodiversity loss, soil erosion and flooding. It has been estimated that Nigeria has lost about 96% of its original forest cover according to the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF). This calls for concern since 26% forest cover is the acceptable minimum standard for countries around the world. Illegal logging for export, rising demand for timber products and the increasing need for firewood as domestic fuel are major reasons why Nigerian forests are disappearing. This article explores how the need for firewood is a major driver of deforestation in Nigeria.
‘‘If the Nigerian economy does not improve …trees in our forests will keep ending up as charcoal in bags.’’
The economic situation of the country has made firewood the cheapest source of energy for most households. The recent Multidimensional Poverty Index report published by the UNDP indicates that 98 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty, this means a vast majority of households can only afford to use firewood and charcoal as sources of domestic fuel especially those in the rural and peri-urban areas. This has put immense strain on the depleting forest resource of the country as it is common to see bags of charcoal being transported every day on Nigerian roads and houses stocking numerous logs of trees. The implication of this is that if the Nigerian economy does not improve so that households can afford more environmental and climate friendly source of energy, trees in our forests will keep ending up as charcoal in bags.
Nigeria’s population keeps growing at an alarming rate, the U.S. Census Bureau has projected that the country’s population might hit 400 million by 2050. Rapid urbanization results in the removal of forest cover to cater for the agricultural and housing needs of the ever-growing population. Trees cleared from the forests provides cheap firewood for a portion of the population that has little or no access to electricity or other sources of domestic energy.
‘‘A lot of Nigerians still believe that climate change is not real or is a problem of the developed world’’
In spite of laws meant to protect forest resources, deforestation still takes place in as it has been estimated by the NCF that the country loses 400,000 hectares of forests and grasslands annually. Similarly, inadequate forest guards to police the forest reserves gives free access to people to perpetuate illegal lumbering for firewood.
Illiteracy regarding environmental and climate issues in the country also influences the choice of some households adopting firewood. A lot of Nigerians still believe that climate change is not real or is a problem of the developed world while some still hold on to traditional beliefs that food can only taste better when it is cooked with firewood. Notions like these are reasons why many still use charcoal and fire wood.
It is time for the Nigerian government at all levels to consciously work towards creating jobs and providing a thriving environment for the private sector to create more job opportunities for the millions who either unemployed or underemployed. When people earn decent wages, they would adopt green sources of energy. Population growth is one issue that needs to be addressed, there is no need for a large population if it would be poor, uneducated, unhealthy and unemployed. It is time to monitor and control the growth of the country’s population.
Government must work with relevant stakeholders to protect what is left of the nation’s forests and also reclaim the lost ones, massive reforestation projects are of utmost importance now. To curb illiteracy on climate and environmental issues, government, CSOs and individuals should carry out sensitization campaigns to intimate people on how climate change affects them and how they can take climate action. People must know that continuous use of firewood is an unhealthy and unsustainable practice they should wean themselves off.
