By Abdullahi Lukman
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has urged charcoal merchants and other forestry stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices and support efforts to combat deforestation and restore degraded forests across Nigeria.
Lawal made the call on Wednesday at the launch of the 2026 Operation One Million Trees programme organised by the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Represented by Dr Osakwe Igbinosa, the minister said tree planting remained essential to tackling climate change, restoring biodiversity, combating desertification and strengthening the resilience of ecosystems.
He said the Federal Ministry of Environment was implementing various programmes to increase forest cover and promote sustainable forest management, including the 2026 National Afforestation Programme launched in June.
According to Lawal, the national programme is part of the government’s response to the Executive Order restricting the export of wood and charcoal and is aimed at restoring degraded forests and ensuring responsible management of forest resources.
He also cited other initiatives, including the Sovereign Green Bond Afforestation Programme, urban greening projects, agroforestry programmes and the protection of erosion-prone and marginal lands.
Lawal stressed that the success of afforestation should not be judged by the number of seedlings planted alone, but by their survival and development into healthy forests.
He urged stakeholders to comply with environmental laws and government policies governing forestry activities.
The chairman of the Association for Forest Conservation and Green Industrial Charcoal Merchants, Adeshola Idowu, called on Nigerians to replace trees removed from the environment and increase tree planting in homes and communities.
Idowu also advocated the use of technology, including drones, to plant trees in areas that are difficult or unsafe for humans to access.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Environment, Ademola Aderinto, said the state government was discouraging indiscriminate tree cutting and penalising offenders as part of its environmental protection efforts.
Meanwhile, the Chief Strategy Officer of FOJ Multidynamic Interchange Nigeria Limited, Florence Omolola, said the initiative would include an independent verification exercise to confirm the number and location of trees planted.
She said environmentalists, regulators, journalists, auditors, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders would participate in the verification process to promote transparency.
Omolola described the one-million-tree target as the beginning of a broader effort to encourage sustainable charcoal production and expand afforestation activities in subsequent years.
