Nigeria introduces new reforms to curb illegal logging & restrict timber exports

Posted on September 16, 2024   |  

Nigeria, the largest timber producer in Africa, has introduced reforms to limit exports and stop processing to fight illegal logging.

These changes could disrupt global supply chains for products like plywood, power poles, pulp, and paper, impacting trade with countries such as China, the U.S., Germany, and Brazil.

In 2020, Nigeria produced over 2.13 million m³ of industrial roundwood, including valuable woods like mahogany and iroko, mainly from the southern states.

Nigeria's opposition to the EU’s EUDR could affect its timber and coffee exports, adding more challenges to its trade.

The export ban may threaten 6 million Nigerian jobs and worsen economic troubles, with inflation already above 40%.

From 2012 to 2023, Nigeria exported 4.2 million tonnes of timber to Asia, especially China, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, which accounts for over 30% of global forest product trade.

In 2023, Nigeria became China’s third-largest plywood export market, with exports rising 72% to 291,000 m³ in the first half of the year.

Half of the timber exported from Nigeria to China is later shipped to the EU, North America, and the Middle East, further impacting global trade.