The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Tropical Wood Exporters Association of Nigeria, TWEAN, have commenced moves to stop the export of processed and semi-processed woods.

Disclosing this yesterday, the Secretary-General of TWEAN, Mr. Joseph Odiase said that the decision to stop the export of these categories of woods was initiated by the group and supported by the Forestry Department of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Odiase also disclosed that a three-year moratorium has also been given to wood exporters to prepare for eventual ban of the export of primary semi-processed wood from Nigeria.

The group’s scribe explained that the idea behind the move to stop primary semi-processed wood export is to ensure more value-adding measures were added to these wood products before they are exported.

He further explained that the decision was taken by a Ministerial Committee on deforestation, afforestation and re-afforestation set up by the ministry of environment adding that the Committee decided on the matter in 2016.

Odiase also said that by the time the ban on wood export comes into effect, more job opportunities would have been created in the wood industry.

“The policy was initiated by the TWEAN because we want to do business in line with sustainable environmental and economic policies of the government of the Republic of Nigeria.

“We want to do business in line with the well-being of the nation’s economy and the Nigerian people.
“If we continue to export primary semi-processed and semi-processed woods, we will continue to miss the value that comes with fully processed woods.

He also added that wood exports have become revenue contributors and generators to the Government for afforestation drive. This development is in addition to the direct contribution of members of TWEAN/PROPMAN for tree planting across the federation.

“TWEAN has asked the government to allow for a three-year moratorium to let exporters key into the initiative by way of bringing in more wood processing equipment and machinery for wood industry, enhance the confidence of foreign investors and promote the transfer of technology.

The department of forestry of the ministry of environment has introduced a quota system thereby checking the volume of exports and controlling the activities of exporters. He also told Vanguard that more wood factories have set up across the country adding that only fully processed and fully finished wood products will be allowed for export from the beginning of the year 2020.

Confirming the development, Mr. Audu Ochuma, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of export at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos also disclosed that the agency had received a directive to stop the exportation of primary semi-processed woods early 2020

PAMACC News - Illegal charcoal trade has been identified as key driver to deforestation globally. To stem the massive tide of  illegally harvesting, production and exporting from different forests across the globe, Somalia has joined other stakeholders to push for cross-border efforts for meaningful results. The Somalia's government made their voice heard at the UN-supported conference on charcoal in Mogadishu, May 7th2018.

According to a press release from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) the Somalian government have joined other stakeholders to call for international cooperation in halting illegal export of charcoal.

Certain forestry products like charcoal are not allowed to be exported from Somalia the release say. The country has struggled to protect its natural forests from rapid and widespread illegal logging and for these measures to be effective, international cooperation with other African countries and Gulf states was imperative.

« “We need a holistic response to address the issues of charcoal in Somalia. Both the demand and

supply side have to be tackled – to do this we need cooperation to implement the UN Security Council Resolution and ensure the environmental, economic and human losses that happen because of illegal charcoal trade are curbed, »  said the Deputy Prime Minister

It should be recalled that a similar call for international cooperation was made by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2017 to stem massive exportation of charcoal from Myanmar to China. The FAO tracks forest cover globally, said in the report that between 1990 and 2015, Myanmar lost about 15 million hectares of forest and other wooded land.

 In Cameroon government officials say there is increasing amounts of charcoal burning for cooking and heating in recent years as Cameroon's electricity and gas supplies fail to keep pace with demand, raising concerns among forest stakholders about growing deforestation and carbon emissions in the country. The Cameroon government has also condemned this growing trend pledging to intensify efforts at eliminating the scorge in line with the 2012 UN resolution against illegal charcoal trade and export.

The charcoal supply for Cameroon's two biggest cities comes principally from the East region, which harbours rich forest reserves that are important for Cameroon in particular and the Congo Basin in general.

DEFORESTATION FEARS

Experts fear that if the energy crisis continues unabated it could contribute to growing deforestation that could worsen climate change and lead to more severe weather.

"Charcoal is obtained from the burning of trees, and if this trend continues you can imagine the quantity of trees the country is going to lose and what impact this will have for the future," said Ebia Ndongo, director of forestry in the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife.

Like in Myanmar, the export of charcoal from Somalia has been banned, both by a 2012 United Nations Security Council resolution and by the Somali Government, due to its destructive effect on the environment and its exacerbation of conflict and humanitarian crises.

The UNEP Press release says an estimated 8.2 million trees were cut down for charcoal in Somalia between 2011 and 2017,increasing land degradation, food insecurity and vulnerability to flooding and drought.

It has been estimated that over 80 percent of charcoal produced in Somalia is exported to Gulf States and neighbouring countries.

Illegal trade in charcoal is recognised as a key contributor to insecurity in Somalia, providing a major source of funding for militias, terrorist groups, and other actors linked to conflict, who illegally tax exports.

But Somalian government say they are more than ready to halt the scourge.

« Somali government is commitment to halting illegal trade of charcoal and providing alternative energy options, » the Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Mahdi Mohamed Guled, reaffirmed at the opening of the conference.

 He also called for urgent action and support from the

international community and countries that are importing charcoal.

“We need a holistic response to address the issues of charcoal in Somalia. Both the demand and supply side have to be tackled – to do this we need cooperation to implement the UN Security Council Resolution and ensure the environmental, economic and human losses that happen because of illegal charcoal trade are curbed,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

He notes that the environmental destruction brought on by the charcoal trade contributes to drought,flooding, the loss of livelihoods and increase in food insecurity.

« Together with conflict, this exacerbates the humanitarian situation in Somalia,” said the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Peter de Clercq. “But due to high levels of poverty in Somalia and lack of opportunities, many are forced to turn to unsustainable and illegal livelihoods, such as charcoal production. The people of this country deserve better”.

Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, UN Environment Regional Director for Africa, also emphasised on the need for regional partnership to stop the unsustainable production, use and export of charcoal in Somalia, expressing the willingness of UN Environment to support such cooperation efforts.

 “UN Environment and its partners are supporting the Government of Somalia to develop sound policy frameworks to support the ban and find alternatives to charcoal,” she said.

The UNEP Press release said participants at the event, were expected to develop a concrete road map for action, including enforceable regional policies, to halt charcoal trade, as well as itsunsustainable production and use within Somalia.

 The high-level summit is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Environment, and the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from Sweden, the European Union and Italy.

Les besoins pour l’Afrique, concernant l’électrification sont immenses.

A ce jour, les tendances sont encourageantes, les approbations de financements se sont concentrées sur l’accès à l’énergie, c’est donc encourageant. Cependant, nous pourrions faire un peu plus, ont estimé des organisations de la société civile (OSC) africaine.

Réunies à l’auditorium Babacar Fall de la Banque africaine de développement (BAD) d’Abidjan, du 7 au 9 mai 2018, à l’occasion d’une première rencontre des OSC, il planchait sur le thème : « Réduire le fossé énergétique pour une industrialisation réussie de l’Afrique : table ronde pour diffuser les solutions à grande échelle ». Une rencontre organisée par plusieurs structures, notamment l'Alliance Panafricaine pour la Justice Climatique (PACJA).

« Aujourd’hui, les financements pour l’accès à l’énergie sont importants. Nous n’entendons pas moins de la part de la BAD. Entre 2013 et 2017, les parts de financements sont passés de 16% à 70% c’est donc encourageant. Mais nous pouvons mieux faire, car le besoin sur le continent est encore immense » a souligné Thuli Makama, Africa Senior Advisor à OilChange international.

« Si l’Afrique et la BAD veulent réaliser l’industrialisation, il faut prendre en compte ceux qui parlent disent que c’est cher. Si vous démystifier le secteur, si vous enlever les subventions des énergies fossiles vous verrez le résultat. Il y a un cri de cœur. Les populations ont besoin de quelque chose de nouveau. Ne nous laissons pas distraire par le lobby des énergies fossiles. Nous avons besoin de la masse critique », a-t-elle ajouté.

Un avis partagé par Mithika Mwenda, secrétaire général de PACJA. « Seule une véritable synergie des actions de la BAD permettra de régler de manière transversale le problème. Et nous avons besoin de la masse critique des organisations de la société civile pour accompagner la Banque dans l’industrialisation du continent », a-t-il indiqué.

Selon les données actualisées, 640 millions d’Africains qui n’ont pas accès à l’énergie. L’objectif du continent est de combler le GAP d’ici à 2025. Pour cela il faut investir jusqu’à 90 milliards de dollars, a révélé Al-Hamadou Dorsouma, expert en changement climatique à la BAD.

« La BAD, toute seule, ne peut pas arriver à financer. Encore que dans certains pays, les coûts d’accès à l’électricité sont encore élevés. Sans compter qu’il manque souvent des projets bancables parce qu’ils ne sont pas bien préparés. Ce sont des barrières pour la pénétration des énergies renouvelables (ER) », a souligné Dorsouma, soulignant que si chaque pays détenait un projet cohérent et concis en matière d’accès à l’ER, il serait mieux accompagné.

Plus de trois cent organisations de la Société Civile (OSC), en provenance de divers pays africains sont réunis à Abidjan à l'initiative de la Banque Africaine de Développement pour plancher sur l'engagement des OSC dans l'industrialisation en Afrique.

Cette rencontre est la première du genre, après la décision de la BAD d’impliquer un peu plus les OSC dans des débats portant sur des sujets cruciaux pour le continent africain.

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (PAMACC News) - Ongoing land reforms in many African nations like Liberia and Cameroon have yet to incorporate any special protection for vulnerable groups, who struggle to claim ownership of natural resources, activists say.

But civil society organisations and other activists are intensifying their efforts to push governments to speed up land reform processes and establish clear legislation securing the rights of vulnerable groups to own, access and control land and other natural resources.

In Liberia for example the International Land Coalition (ILC) Africa, has added its voice to that of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Working Group on Land Rights Reform in that country to demand for a people-centred land bill on land rights.

In a statement issued by ILC Africa’s Chair, Shadrack Omondi, on April 17 2018, the platform called on President George Weah and the Senate to review the Land Rights Act to ensure it responded to the needs of vulnerable communities.

 "Liberia’s shared and sustained economic growthdepends on secured land rights for communities
and vulnerable groups," the statement noted.

It points out that the Land Rights Act (LRA) in Liberia as passed in August 2017 does not offer adequate protection for community land rights and thus risks plunging the the country into another circle of conflict.

Research suggests land disputes continue to fuel resource based conflicts in Africa. Such disputes mostly arise from weak land and natural resource tenure,which causes power imbalances and pushes different groups to their limits.

"Conflicts break out as communities seek for extra judicial solutions to secure their lives and livelihoods. Liberia’s Land Rights Act is a unique opening to ensure secure access to landrights and improved livelihoods for all, especially women, youth and Indigenous Peoples," the statement notes.

It called on the President and the Senate to seize the  opportunity to build a strong,peaceful, just and equitable Liberia-and ensure that it can attract investments for development that is sustainable and the benefits from which are equally distributed.

A similar call was made in Cameroon recently by women landrights activist for African leaders to institute landreforms that include legal safeguards to protect women’s rights to land ownership.

The African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests,RECAFOF, an international NGO, believes only reforms that include legal safeguards giving women equal say in decisions made by customary and state authorities on managing land and forest resources will boost gender equality on the continent.

“We know that wherever land rights are being ignored, women are indisputably the most affected. Banding together and raising awareness of these issues is the first step toward ensuring all women’s rights are recognised,” Cécile Ndjebet, president of REFACOF, said in a statement.

KEY TO DEVELOPMENT

Ongoing land reforms in African nations such as Liberia,Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal have yet to incorporate any special protection for women and other vulnerable communities according to ILC and REFACOF.

“Globally, people are starting to understand the contributions women make to development. The importance of securing land rights for women in achieving development can therefore not be over-emphasised,” said Ndjebet.

The ILC statement on its part called on the inclusion of all stakeholders, and especially communities, in finalising the land Bill, for Liberia to move to truly people-centred land governance and improve the lives of 85% of its population living in rural areas and depending on land for their shelter and livelihoods.

" We call upon all stakeholders to intensify their efforts towards promoting dialogue. We hope consensus can be built on how to strengthen the Bill and use it as a tool for promoting unity, wealth creation and sustainable peace," ILC Africa’s chair, Shadrack Omondi said.

It should be recalled that in 2014, former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf presented the Land

Rights Act (LRA) and in 2017, the Lower House of Parliament of Liberia voted the bill. However, with some newly added and amended provisions, Omondi
fears the bill could undermine community land rights and create future tensions.
 

Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper notes that women are major players in the agricultural sector, making up the majority of small-holder producers and the agricultural labour force.

Women produce some 60 percent of agricultural goods and carry out 80 percent of trading activities in rural areas, but they have less access to productive inputs than men, including land, skills training, basic tools and technology, the strategy says.

The situation is similar in many developing countries,espacially in Africa. In Western and Central Africa, generally less than 10 percent of landholders are women, according to data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation.