Abuja: The Federal Government has endorsed the proposed National Forest Association of Nigeria, emphasizing its potential to enhance coordination, investment, and sustainable development within the forestry sector. Assistant Director of the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Felicia Udeh, made this announcement during a national stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, held to deliberate on and adopt the association’s draft constitution.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Udeh highlighted that the meeting signified a crucial step towards establishing a more robust and sustainable forest sector. She referenced World Bank data indicating that Nigeria’s forest coverage stands at 23.2% of the nation’s land area in 2023, illustrating the significant pressure on the country’s forest resources. Udeh emphasized the implications of diminishing forest coverage, driven by factors such as population growth, economic activities, and increasing demand for forest resources on livelihoods, industrial development, and environmental sustainability.
Udeh further explained that these challenges also impact climate resilience and national resource security, necessitating increased investment in forest restoration, sustainable management, and plantation development. She advocated for heightened investment in technology, research, infrastructure, and value addition to fortify the sector and boost Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
The proposed association, Udeh noted, would serve as a comprehensive platform to foster investment and sustainable growth throughout the forest value chain. It aims to promote collaboration among stakeholders and complement existing product-based associations without encroaching on their mandates. “The association will provide a common platform to address sector-wide issues while respecting the mandates of specialized groups,” she stated.
Udeh reiterated the ministry’s commitment to promoting Nigerian commodities and value chains, strengthening value addition, facilitating investment, and creating an enabling environment for inclusive economic development. She highlighted the forest sector’s potential to drive industrialization, job creation, economic diversification, investment, and export development if effectively leveraged.
Udeh praised the efforts of the institutional drafting and constitutional review committees and urged stakeholders to support the formation of an inclusive and credible association. Ojei Uche, National Secretary-General of the National Association of Charcoal Producers, Dealers, Exporters, and Afforestation of Nigeria, applauded the ministry’s initiative to unify sector associations, expressing that the proposed association would empower stakeholders with a stronger collective voice, promote collaboration, and address common challenges facing the sector.