The Federal Government has moved to shut down Nigeria’s wood exports trade, ordering an immediate ban on the exportation of wood and allied products and revoking all licences and permits previously issued for the business.

The decision was announced in Katsina State on Wednesday by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, during the eighteenth meeting of the National Council on Environment. According to the minister, the directive is contained in a Presidential Executive Order titled Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, and takes effect immediately across the country.

Lawal said the measure was driven by growing concerns over illegal logging, accelerating deforestation and the long-term damage to Nigeria’s already fragile forest ecosystem. He warned that unchecked extraction and export of timber had pushed forest loss to dangerous levels, with consequences that extend beyond environmental damage to livelihoods, climate resilience and public health.

“Nigeria’s forests are central to environmental sustainability, providing clean air and water, supporting livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, and mitigating the effects of climate change,” the minister said. He added that continued wood export threatens these benefits and undermines the country’s ability to protect its natural environment for future generations.

The executive order, published in the Extraordinary Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 180, Vol. 112 of 16 October 2025, draws authority from Sections 17(2) and 20 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The provisions mandate the state to safeguard land, forests and wildlife, while preventing the exploitation of natural resources in ways that harm public interest.

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Beyond the policy declaration, the government has directed security agencies and relevant ministries to begin strict enforcement, with a nationwide clampdown on illegal logging operations and the movement of wood products meant for export. Officials say the goal is not only to stop exports but to dismantle the networks that have sustained illegal timber trade for years.

The environmental concerns behind the ban were echoed by Katsina State Deputy Governor, Faruk Lawal Jobe, who opened the council meeting by stressing the urgency of coordinated action. He noted that environmental degradation, desertification and forest loss were no longer distant threats but realities affecting food security, livelihoods and community stability.

“Environmental sustainability is critical to achieving growth and improving the quality of life of our people,” Jobe said. “Our administration has prioritised initiatives aimed at combating desertification and promoting afforestation.”

The wood export ban signals a tougher stance by the Federal Government on resource management at a time when climate pressures are intensifying across the country. While the move is expected to disrupt parts of the timber trade in the short term, officials argue that protecting forest cover and restoring degraded land are necessary steps toward long-term environmental and economic stability.

For policymakers, the message is clear: Nigeria’s forests are no longer commodities to be exhausted, but assets to be preserved. How effectively the ban is enforced will determine whether it becomes a turning point in the fight against deforestation or another policy tested by weak compliance.

Meiza Nigeria