Mirian Gom 
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas-Lawal
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has urged charcoal merchants and other forestry stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices as Nigeria intensifies efforts to reverse deforestation and restore degraded forests.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, gave the charge on Wednesday at the flag-off of the 2026 Operation One Million Trees programme at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan.
Lawal, who was represented by Dr Osakwe Igbinosa, said deforestation posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s environment and economic development, making forest restoration and sustainable resource use increasingly important.
He identified tree planting as an important tool for combating climate change, restoring biodiversity, controlling desertification and strengthening the resilience of ecosystems.
The minister said the Federal Ministry of Environment was implementing several afforestation and forest-restoration initiatives, including the 2026 National Afforestation Programme, the Sovereign Green Bond Afforestation Programme and the National Greening of Cities and Urban Areas initiative.
He said the Operation One Million Trees programme complemented the government’s wider environmental agenda and urged participants to comply with forestry laws and regulations.
Lawal also cautioned against measuring the success of afforestation programmes solely by the number of seedlings planted. “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 Idowu, urged charcoal merchants and other Nigerians to replace trees removed from the environment.
He advocated planting several trees for every tree felled and called for greater use of technology, including drones, to accelerate tree planting in difficult-to-reach areas.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Ademola Aderinto, also warned about the environmental consequences of indiscriminate tree felling for housing, land development and business activities.
He urged residents to incorporate trees into building and development plans where possible and to plant replacement trees around homes, workplaces and communities. “If you cut down one tree for any legitimate purpose, plant back more. It is no longer one for one. You cut down one, plant two, three, four back,” Aderinto said.
Earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Ibadan, Prof Joke Akinyeleru, said the programme demonstrated the institution’s commitment to practical action on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Organisers said the initiative would also promote more sustainable charcoal production and compliance with environmental regulations.
Florence Omolola of FOJ Multidynamic and Azeez Rasaq of Rasbat International Resources Limited were among partners supporting the programme.
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