Vice President Kashim Shettima has sounded a warning on the critical state of Nigeria’s forests, declaring that over 90 per cent of the country’s original forest cover has been lost, describing the crisis as both environmental and economic.
Speaking at the Nigeria Forest Economy Summit 2025, themed: ‘Sustainability of Nigeria’s Forests: Unlocking the $2 Billion Potential for Economic and Financial Inclusion’, the Vice President, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia, lamented the alarming rate of deforestation, with an estimated 400,000 hectares lost yearly.
“This is not just an environmental crisis; it is an economic emergency. We are ata crossroads where neglecting our forest resources directly impoverishes our people and endangers our future,”Shettima declared.
He described Nigeria’s forests as “treasure troves” of biodiversity, timber, medicinal plants, and other natural resources critical to agriculture, health, climate resilience, and economic growth.
Drawing comparisons with forest-rich nations, Shettima observed: “Vietnam earns over $15 billion yearly from forest exports. Brazil’s Amazon contributes 15 per cent to their GDP. Ethiopia has created 350,000 jobs through reforestation. Nigeria must not only replicate these successes, but lead Africa in forest industrialisation.”
Shettima also warned that new European Union regulations prohibiting imports from recently deforested land could shut Nigeria out of valuable international markets unless swift, sustainable forest management reforms were adopted, emphasising the importance of inclusive economic strategies.
Speaking at the summit, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Netzence CEO, Sadiq Sani, said his company was developing systems that would measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and calculate potential carbon credits within forest environments.
“Our goal is to provide technology that accurately tracks emissions, enabling Nigeria to benefit from the growing global carbon credit market,” Sani stated.
According to him, the company is building models that map forest composition and decomposition, providing reliable data for monetising environmental value through carbon financing.
In a goodwill message, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, called for stronger alignment between the livestock sector and forest conservation.
“Our livestock systems must support sustainable rangeland and forest management, reduce herder-farmer conflict, and build climate-resilient food systems,” he said.
Maiha advocated access to climate finance, carbon markets, and green credit for smallholder farmers, while calling for greater use of digital tools for landscape monitoring and livestock tracking.
