Effect of Charcoal business in Ilorin

There is no doubt that deforestation problem is now a major global concern for all, particularly going by the effect of climate change on the world globally. Therefore, to lessen the burden of climate change, the global community have since come up with afforestation and other several programmes which were aimed at encouraging massive tree planting and ensure beautification of the environment.

Nigeria is no exception, also several other countries in the continent have as well came up with policy that would ensure promotion of trees planting and assisted in the efforts to control the incessant deforestation and promote carbon trading which is a product of afforestation. Meanwhile, the global efforts at enhancing afforestation has not seen to yielding fruitful result especially in Nigeria with the extensive cases of tree burning in almost every state by those who engage in charcoal production and trade in the business. However, in spite of the fact that there is existing law which prohibits charcoal business in order to control and discourage burning of trees in the forests, the business still thrive and continue growing on daily basis in Kwara State. Hardly, would one find a community in the state or move freely in any of the street without noticing a spot where charcoal production and sales is being taking as a serious business. The processing of charcoal begins with the cutting of hard trees which are distilled to make charcoal. The chunks of the newly produced charcoal are then packed in sacks and tied. Rickety old-model pick-up vans are readily available for loading of the finished product to potential buyers. Charcoal is traditionally used as a fuel and has become very popular for domestic use in cooking by many households which explains why the production continued gaining popularity and people took it as real business. Charcoal enjoys more popularity however with the increasing price of kerosene which many average women could barely afford and therefore resorted to using it for cooking in metal cookers made by welders. National Pilot reliably gathered that a bag of charcoal is sold to bulk buyers at the rate of N900 while the retailers then re-sell to the general public at the rate of N1, 000 to N1, 100 respectively. The petty charcoal traders in Ilorin re-pack small quantities of the commodity in nylon bags with a bag sold for N20. It used to be N10 some years back before it was jacked up to N20 following a hike from the producers. National Pilot observed that with the growing numbers of people and households using charcoal, the traders have continued to smile to the banks with huge fortunes they are making through the proceeds from processing and production of charcoal. Meanwhile, it is noted that there is a law in existence which was enacted in 2005 known as Kwara State Charcoal Production Prohibition Law. The law has prohibited the production of charcoal in the state. And according to the law, whoever caught producing charcoal in contradiction of the law upon arraignment and conviction is liable to pay a fine of N50, 000 or serve one year jail term. A visit to some communities by National Pilot where charcoal is made in the state shows that despite the ban placed on charcoal production to protect and preserve the forests so as to ensure a green environment, the traders seems to have snubbed all attempts at curbing their trend of business by continue making a living from the business. Some of the charcoal producers who bare their minds with our correspondent at Falokun Oja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state shows that they are aware of the existing law which prohibit the business yet they found it pleasant engaging in it since they have no alternative means of livelihood. A charcoal producer simply identified as Alhaja Idiat said charcoal trading is a very lucrative business for any interested person, saying that it is the business she has been doing for several years. According to her, the business is our major source of generating income to cater for our children and the entire family. I see it as a legal business that any interesting person can embark on. If they now say we should stop the business, I think it would be right to give us another job. It is no more news that unemployment rate is very high and to say that we should stop this business, it means you want to block our source of income and make us suffer in hunger and starvation. Apart from Falokun-Oja, charcoal is also processed at a small village near Oke-Oyi, headquarters of Ilorin East Local Government Area of the state. Like their counterparts in Falokun-Oja, they also secretly cut trees in the bush which they burn to make charcoal. It was also gathered that those involved in the business claim they import the commodity from neighbouring states though the government insists the charcoal is produced in the state. When contacted, the former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Dr. AbdulRasak Amuda said that the charcoal traders hide under the inadequacy of the law to do their business, saying the extant state law only prohibits the production of charcoal in the state but does not ban the sale of the commodity. However, he said the ministry would strengthen its enforcement unit to curb the activities of charcoal producers who cut down trees at will in the forests without replacing them thus endangering the environment. According to him, there is a law in existence which was enacted in 2005 known as Kwara State Charcoal Production Prohibition Law. The law has prohibited the production of charcoal in the state. And whoever produces charcoal in contradiction of the law upon arraignment and conviction is liable to pay a fine of N50, 000 or serve one year jail term. What I have discovered is that the law is not adequate enough. It should prohibit the illegal production, selling of charcoal, dealing with charcoal or marketing charcoal or transporting charcoal. When my officers go round for random checking and enforcement, what we have discovered is that people hide under the inadequacy of the law, that they are not producing charcoal; they are only selling it and they would give you receipt from the neighbouring state that they procure it from Niger, from Kogi, from Ekiti. They would say they are not producing it in Kwara; they are only selling and the law has not prohibited selling of charcoal. From what I have found out recently, they do their business in the night. They go to the jungle, cut the trees, make charcoal and they have ready-made receipt. But since we have been able to know their game plan, we are strengthening our enforcement organ to ensure that we are able to nab the people who are dealing in this business and to ensure that if we cannot stop it in totality, we minimize it to a reasonable level so that we will not be endangering our forests and by extension we would not be creating a serious environmental problem to the living and even for our future. He added that they have a serious advocacy strategy to enlighten the dealers to know that the little gain they would make now would be paving way for a greater danger that money cannot even solve. “If all these villages that engage in illicit trading of charcoal business cut all their trees and there is a serious thunderstorm, all these trees that are supposed to be windbreakers are cut down and there is ecological problem,” he said. He also debunked the traders’ claim that unemployment motivated them into the business, saying they are only being lazy and looking for cheap lucre. “Farming is as lucrative as the creation of humanity. Our people are simply lazy and they are looking for cheaper means of making money. Kwara State has abundant arable land. You can engage in not only crop farming, you can go to animal husbandry; you can go into fish production; you can go into poultry; and you can go into vegetable production. Let me tell you, they have a thousand means of employment if they are sincere to themselves.” He also claimed that the charcoal producers export the product to neighbouring countries such as Niger, and were not selling to residents in the state alone. As useful as charcoal is to some people, especially those who could not afford to buy kerosene for their domestic use, the fact remains that its production as observed at the long run would cause more harm than good to the society. This is so, because researches has shown that the desert is fast advancing while the trees that could have served as protection in case of wind blowing is being cut down haphazardly even without any replacement. Therefore, the onus fall on government to ensure that the designated ministry saddled with the responsibility of protecting the state forest is up and doing in order to address the foreseeable challenges because as the adage goes, a stitch in time saves nine. Rather than be forced to spend huge amount of money in the near future to safe people’s lives when the problem would have eventually arrived, it is expected of the concerned authority and stakeholders in the sector to act fast on the imminent problem charcoal production could cause the state and safe the state forest. The material was first published by National Pilot January 2014.