₦airaland Forum

MR EBENEZER AKARAH

When people think of billion-dollar commodities or international trade negotiations, charcoal rarely makes the list. It evokes images of open-air markets, village kilns, and weekend barbecues , not oil rigs and OPEC meetings. Yet imagine if Nigeria treated charcoal with the same seriousness as crude oil, complete with production quotas, export benchmarks, and even a national revenue allocation formula.

In Nigeria, the word “sector” almost always points to oil and gas. And for good reason. We have the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the almighty NNPC Limited, all under the Petroleum Industry Act and benchmarked against Brent crude. Every barrel is tracked from wellhead to wallet.

Cocoa also has its ecosystem: the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), the Cocoa Research Institute, and the International Cocoa Organisation guiding prices and production. Gas has its Decade of Gas initiative, complete with aggregators, export targets, and policy blueprints.

But where does that leave charcoal?
Nigeria has the National Charcoal Producers, Dealers, Exporters and Afforestation Association of Nigeria (NACPDEAN) , an umbrella body advocating order in the trade. Yet beyond this, the sector is largely informal. What’s missing is a structured framework clear rules, enforceable standards, and a value chain that could transform charcoal from a rural hustle into a national asset.

How Other Countries Treat Charcoal
Nigeria is not alone in producing charcoal, but it stands out for not knowing exactly where the commodity belongs. Other African nations have already given it a home.

Kenya: Charcoal is part of the Forestry sector, regulated by law through Charcoal Producer Associations. Licenses are required for production, transport, and sale, with strict sustainability enforcement. Kenya sees charcoal not as a by-product but as a managed forest resource.

Uganda: Charcoal falls under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development. A National Charcoal Strategy links it to household energy, employment, and climate goals treating charcoal as energy, not just smoke.

Tanzania: Charcoal is jointly managed by Forestry and Energy because it provides over 80% of household cooking fuel. In Tanzania, charcoal is the kitchen’s lifeline—an essential energy commodity, not an informal trade.

Namibia: Charcoal is an export commodity under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Namibia Charcoal Association ensures global quality certification, branding, and international sales. Namibia’s charcoal is packaged, standardized, and shipped worldwide.

Nigeria’s Grey Zone
In Nigeria, charcoal floats in limbo , not quite forestry, not quite energy, not quite agriculture. Officially, it sits under the Ministry of Environment for licensing, but there’s no dedicated policy framework or regulatory clarity.

If Nigeria borrowed models from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, or Namibia, it could finally “house” charcoal properly.
Forestry could claim it , tying it to afforestation and sustainability.
Energy could regulate it as a domestic fuel source.
Agriculture could oversee it as an agro-commodity.
At the very least, it deserves a defined home.

The Missed Opportunity
According to the FAO, the global charcoal market is worth about $5 billion annually. Nigeria exports roughly 1.9 million metric tons of charcoal (both legal and illegal) each year, earning an estimated $75–100 million. Compare that to crude oil’s $45–50 billion in annual revenue and it becomes clear: Nigeria is allowing a potentially valuable commodity to slip through the cracks of informality.
But charcoal isn’t just about money. Formalizing the trade could promote sustainable forestry, create rural jobs, and strengthen environmental governance in producing states like Kogi, Kwara, Oyo, and Nasarawa. Imagine headlines like:
“Federal Government Launches National Charcoal Strategy — Producing States to Receive 13% Derivation.”

Of course, challenges would arise. Overharvesting could trigger environmental concerns, and illegal exports would still demand enforcement. But with the right policies, monitoring, and incentives, these issues are manageable.

The Bigger Picture
Nigeria has a pattern of regulating only after a resource has already been abused. Oil theft drains billions. Cocoa and cashew flounder under weak policies. Charcoal, legalized for export since 2023, now suffers from poor communication and enforcement fueling underground trade instead of sustainable growth.

So, what if Nigeria gave charcoal just 20% of the seriousness reserved for crude oil?
We wouldn’t need an NNPC for charcoal. We’d just need clarity:

Assign it to a specific sector.
Define responsibilities.
Set standards.

Communicate and enforce consistently.
Charcoal doesn’t need to be the new oil. It only needs structure, transparency, and sustainability. Because in the end whether for cooking, heating, or export black gold doesn’t always come in liquid form.

Mr Ebenezer Akarah, Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Bricks to Crib Company

People are now cutting trees in the forest because of charcoal and they are not planting it back. Very soon there will be no trees again. And all Africa shall become a desert like Sahara.

To avoid this we must plant more trees to avoid desert encroachment.

The world has gone past charcoal. Na clean energy everybody dey now

kalemy:
The world has gone past charcoal. Na clean energy everybody dey now

Go to villages, there are cutting trees anyhow because of charcoal and they are not planting more. Taking the lives of these trees is not inimical to the society at large. It causes what again? Global warming

While the world may have moved on to cleaner energy sources, charcoal has numerous other uses and application beyond fuel.

Meedon:
Go to villages, there are cutting trees anyhow because of charcoal and they are not planting more. Taking the lives of these trees is not inimical to the society at large. It causes what again? Global warming

You know,

When it comes to this issue of global warming, I will always say, give Africa a break.

The people warming up the globe know themselves.

High pollution is synonymous with high industrialization.

And the global west is the most industrialized.

They should deal with the heat they brought upon the globe.

Leave Africa out of

Sir,

Respectfulky how many trees has your company planted?
Can charcoal be made from any other raw material apart from wood?

Abeg ooo....

mk una commot Charcoal from una mouth b4 federal Government start Taxing charcoal users weh dey manage dem selfs.

Natural coal or charcoal?

Omo, abeg make una carry una eye commot for our charcoal oh

Perish that thoughts in Nigeria. Nothing works here

chiiraq802:
Abeg ooo....

mk una commot Charcoal from una mouth b4 federal Government start Taxing charcoal users weh dey manage dem selfs.

I nor come understand these oversabi University project writers again seff

Crude oil is liquid, while charcoal is solid. And charcoal will lead to trees being destroyed. No comparison.

Deforestation!
Deforestation!!
Deforestation!!!

Charcoal business is a money making business if bandits allow people to enter the bushes. However, more trees should be planted for every tree felled to make charcoal

When I think of charcoal...


I think of deforestation.

I don't think charcoal is sustainable as a source of energy in the long run. We should be thinking of better sources of energy and how to protect and conserve our environment.


There are "artificial" charcoal briskets made from grass and weed. We can invest in that instead of cutting down our trees to provide energy.

It's not sustainable!

The future energy is solar energy. Device used to collect solar energy with continue to improve.

charcoal can't fall tender the same category as crude oil irrespective of your arguments for it.

It isn't the same biodegradation process.
Coal is formed from remains of dead terrestrial organism.
While crude oil on the other hand is remains of dead marine organism

TrioVibes:
MR EBENEZER AKARAH



Mr Ebenezer Akarah, Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Bricks to Crib Company

Even the OP is confused

He does not know the difference between coal and charcoal.

Oga tell us. Do you mean COAL because nobody bloody cares about charcoal in the international market?

Af0nja2:
Even the OP is confused

He does not know the difference between coal and charcoal.

Oga tell us. Do you mean COAL because nobody bloody cares about charcoal in the international market?

I thought he was confused also...

Or talking about coal.

Till I saw "forestry" somewhere there!

You can sbw the one to tart treating charcoal like crude oil, even like gold or diamonds around you and watch how everyone looks at you.

mariovito:
You know,

When it comes to this issue of global warming, I will always say, give Africa a break.

The people warming up the globe know themselves.

High pollution is synonymous with high industrialization.

And the global west is the most industrialized.

They should deal with the heat they brought upon the globe.

Leave Africa out of

So are you saying trees should be cut down without replacement? It seems you are one of those clearing the forest trees.

CHARCOAL HAS POWER USES

mariovito:
You know,

When it comes to this issue of global warming, I will always say, give Africa a break.

The people warming up the globe know themselves.

High pollution is synonymous with high industrialization.

And the global west is the most industrialized.

They should deal with the heat they brought upon the globe.

Leave Africa out of

Having a cute tree to keep you sane benefits you and not the global west

Mmmmm.

Mmmmm.

Mmmmm.

Mmmmm.

Meedon:
People are now cutting trees in the forest because of charcoal and they are not planting it back. Very soon there will be no trees again. And all Africa shall become a desert like Sahara.

To avoid this we must plant more trees to avoid desert encroachment.

Africans do not care about long-term sustainability, we only care about the benefits we can get today!

Meedon:
People are now cutting trees in the forest because of charcoal and they are not planting it back. Very soon there will be no trees again. And all Africa shall become a desert like Sahara.

To avoid this we must plant more trees to avoid desert encroachment.

Chai.
Airpus o God.
God airpus o.

Goodlady:
Chai.
Airpus o God.
God airpus o.

Which God? abeg gerrtwtttttt here

Meedon:
Which God? abeg gerrtwtttttt here

God airp you o.
God airp you o.
Diaris God o.
God airpus o.