Rising demand from the international market has made the charcoal industry a vital part of the Nigerian economy with local suppliers scarcely able to meet demand in Europe and America The demand is also huge within the African continent For many South African barbecues,f, instance,charcoal is essential.Cooks around the world depend on it, thus fueling increased production in Nigeria .
The suppliers are digging through the ashes to get at this commodity which has become one of Nigeria's hottest and according to Oladimeji Matthew, a local supplier from Oyo State, who spoke on CNN's Market Place Africa, up to 40 containers of charcoal are sold in a month, each container selling for N450,000 or between $3000-$4000.
Marketplace Africa is a CNN pro- gramme that offers its viewers a unique window into African business, on and off the continent It is the destination for movers and shakers at the forefront ofAf- rican business, in which the presenters sit down with major players and innovators changing the face of African enterprise and bring to the viewers fresh, cutting-edge business news.
Christian Purefoy, CNN correspondent in Oyo State for a focus on charcoal production, reports that it takes about 12 days to get the commodity ready for sale, noting however thatthe production of the commodity poses serious environmental problem.
"In this one community alone, they say they cut down up to 400 trees a day, conservationists have expressed concerns about deforestation in Nigeria, as land is cleared for fuel and timber export the Nigerian government earlier this year committed funds to tree-planting projects, and here, the village head says 200 trees are re-planted every day, but as we drove deeper into the forest we saw little evidence of the re-forestation projects that they said were under way here. Still, they maintain every effort is being made", he said.
Oguntade Sunday, a local supplier, says however that charcoal production is their only business, and has helped solve economic and social problems in the community, insisting that the community enjoys the business.
Obumnerne Umeokafor, a large- scale charcoal exporter, stresses that demand for the commodity in the international market is huge, estimating that he exports over 11,000 tons a year.
"Demand for it is actually huge and I think we have enough foresta¬tion to meet this demand, but we are very conscious of the deforestation problem; we know the consequences. We try; as we cut these trees, to plant new ones and we try especially that we don't encroach into the forest reserves", he assured.
Whereas Britain is a major con-sumer of charcoal from developing countries, Ghana , another West Afri-can country, is actively involved in the production of this commodity.
Britain currently imports 60,000 tonnes of charcoal every year, despite the fact that it's own woodlands have the potential to meet this demand many times over. Approximately 90 percent of charcoal burnt in the United Kingdom is produced in the developing world and imported to Britain .
A study conducted in Gushegu District of the Northern Region of Ghana, shows that charcoal production is carried out as a livelihood support system.The study further shows that charcoal production is an important economic activity involving mostly women (70 percent of producers) as a search for livelihood. In this region, charcoal production is ranked as the second major occupation in the area. It is also ranked second in terms of income generation.
On the flipside however, defor-estation, diminishing wildlife population, bush fires and nutrient depletion, have been identified as the most critical environmental effects of charcoal production in this region.
According to the study, most pro-ducers and consumers are willing to adopt more efficient energy sources, but lack the means to do so. What this means is that charcoal production will continue to be an important economic activity in this region into the foreseeable future, hence the need for sustainable methods of production.
The study recommends that ways should be found to reduce the rate of exploitation of forest trees for charcoal production, while at the same time providing a sustainable livelihood system for the people who depend on these resources.
