By Abbas Nazil
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal, has urged charcoal merchants and other forestry stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to tackle deforestation and restore degraded forest landscapes across Nigeria.
Lawal made the call during the flag-off of the 2026 Operation One Million Trees Tree Planting Programme organised by the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan.
The minister said the participation of charcoal merchants in forest restoration was critical to ensuring that the use of forest resources did not undermine the long-term sustainability of the environment.
He stressed that forestry activities must be undertaken responsibly and in accordance with existing laws, environmental regulations and government policies.
Represented at the event by Dr Osakwe Igbinosa, the minister said tree planting remained one of the most practical measures for addressing climate change, reversing deforestation, restoring biodiversity, controlling desertification and strengthening the resilience of ecosystems.
He said Nigeria’s forests provide important environmental, social and economic benefits, including biodiversity conservation, water-resource regulation and livelihoods for millions of people.
Lawal therefore described forest protection as a collective responsibility requiring the involvement of government agencies, communities, private-sector operators, environmental organisations and other stakeholders.
He said the Federal Ministry of Environment remained committed to sustainable forest management through programmes aimed at restoring degraded forests, increasing forest cover and strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to climate-related challenges.
The minister noted that the Federal Government had earlier flagged off the 2026 National Afforestation Programme on June 8 as part of efforts to implement the Executive Order on the ban on the export of wood and charcoal.
According to him, the national afforestation programme demonstrates the government’s commitment to restoring degraded landscapes, expanding forest cover and promoting the sustainable management of forest resources.
He also listed the Sovereign Green Bond Afforestation Programme, the National Greening of Cities and Urban Areas for Climate Change Mitigation, agroforestry initiatives, protection of erosion-prone areas and marginal lands, and stakeholder and community engagement among measures being pursued by the ministry.
Lawal said the Operation One Million Trees initiative complemented these broader environmental programmes and urged participants to ensure that their activities contributed meaningfully to long-term forest restoration.
He cautioned that the success of afforestation should not be judged simply by the number of seedlings planted, but by the number that survive and develop into healthy forests.
“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 for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants, Adeshola Adebowale Idowu, also called on Nigerians to develop the habit of replacing trees removed from the environment.
Idowu encouraged individuals and communities to plant trees around their homes and public spaces, advocating the planting of several trees for every tree harvested.
He said trees remained essential to human existence because many products used by society are derived from forest resources.
Idowu also identified technology as an important tool for modern forest protection and suggested the use of drones to plant seedlings in difficult-to-reach locations.
He said drone technology could help accelerate afforestation by making it possible to reach areas that are difficult or potentially dangerous for people to access.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Environment, Ademola Aderinto, commended the state government’s environmental policies and described afforestation as an important strategy for addressing climate change.
Aderinto said tree cutting was discouraged in the state and that offenders were subject to penalties.
The Chief Strategic Officer of FOJ Multidynamic Interchange Nigeria Limited, Florence Omolola, said the initiative was designed to promote sustainable practices within the charcoal industry and encourage compliance with environmental regulations.
She said the three-day programme would feature sensitisation, youth engagement, tree planting and verification of afforestation activities carried out by participants.
According to Omolola, the opening day included a youth festival and inter-departmental competitions involving students of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Ibadan.
She said the activities were designed to increase young people’s awareness of environmental protection and expose them to technology-driven approaches to safeguarding natural resources.
Omolola said the subsequent phase would involve physical verification of afforestation activities by environmentalists, journalists, regulators, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, auditors and other independent stakeholders.
She said the verification exercise was intended to provide physical evidence of trees planted and improve transparency around the programme.
She added that the Federal Ministry of Environment had deployed a five-member delegation to support the initiative and ensure compliance with established environmental regulations.
Omolola appealed for continued government support for sustainable forestry initiatives, saying collaboration among stakeholders would be necessary to achieve meaningful environmental restoration.
She described the Operation One Million Trees initiative as the beginning of a broader effort, expressing optimism that the programme would expand beyond its current target in subsequent years.
