Sustainable forest management in Nigeria: Lessons and Prospects

Abstract

Extensive survey of forest-reliant firms including sawmills and other large integrated wood processing complexes was carried out. The survey employed physical evaluation of production facilities and completion of structured questionnaire using information collected from respondents at the mill sites. Results showed that the Nigerian forest industry is limited by environmental and energy imperatives. Many of the wood industries were established without adequate attention given to environmental protection. The industry is strongly dependent on contractors who care little about reduced impact logging (RIL) once they can make profit. Forest industry wastes also place significant burden on exploitation regime and environmental protection. The firms generally have no pollution records. Sawdust dumps constitute social nuisance and should be channeled towards production of value added wood products. Many of the no pollution records. Sawdust dumps constitute social nuisance and should be channeled towards production of value added wood products. Many of the firms have no first-aid medical facilities, thus, workforce protection against operational hazard is limited. Half-masking is generally employed against dusts and smoke while other hazard sources like noise, fire, electricity, heavy weight, moving objects, chemicals etc are treated with less concern. Other hazards faced by logging contractors include vehicular breakdown, marshy and un- motorable terrain that limits hauling. Inter-ethnic conflicts often introduce major barriers to timber availability and dynamics. Energy-wise, the operators generally rely on public grid for electricity, which is not reliable, causing frequent interruption of !",;-;:',,-.;ssing. There is about 50% downtime resulting from National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) failures leading to irregular industry work schedule. Finns that employ the use of power generators also find it difficult to cope with rising cost of fuel that is disincentive to sawmill expansion and profitability, hence, a rising trend of mill closure. Burdensome is the effect of corruption and bureaucracy along the wood marketing chain that force actors to look for illegal means of increasing profit margin by way of illegal felling. Over 90% of the mills have no approved Environmental Impact Assessment (ElA) neither do they carry out energy audit (EA). All these have undue effects on industrial efficiency and sustainability of the raw material base.