When individuals consider billion-dollar commodities or worldwide commerce negotiations, charcoal not often makes the checklist. It evokes photographs of open-air markets, village kilns, and weekend barbecues, not oil rigs and OPEC conferences. But think about if Nigeria handled charcoal with the identical seriousness as crude oil, full with manufacturing quotas, export benchmarks, and even a nationwide income allocation system.
In Nigeria, the phrase “sector” nearly at all times factors to grease and gasoline. And for good purpose. We have now the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee (NUPRC), the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the almighty NNPC Restricted, all beneath the Petroleum Trade Act and benchmarked in opposition to Brent crude. Each barrel is tracked from wellhead to pockets.
Cocoa additionally has its ecosystem: the Cocoa Farmers Affiliation of Nigeria (CFAN), the Cocoa Analysis Institute, and the Worldwide Cocoa Organisation, guiding costs and manufacturing. Fuel has its Decade of Fuel initiative, full with aggregators, export targets, and coverage blueprints.
However the place does that depart charcoal?
Nigeria has the Nationwide Charcoal Producers, Sellers, Exporters and Afforestation Affiliation of Nigeria (NACPDEAN), an umbrella physique advocating order within the commerce. But past this, the sector is basically casual. What’s lacking is a structured framework, clear guidelines, enforceable requirements, and a worth chain that might remodel charcoal from a rural hustle right into a nationwide asset.
How different international locations deal with charcoal
Nigeria isn’t alone in producing charcoal, nevertheless it stands out for not figuring out precisely the place the commodity belongs. Different African nations have already given it a house.
Kenya: Charcoal is a part of the forestry sector, regulated by legislation by way of Charcoal Producer Associations. Licences are required for manufacturing, transport, and sale, with strict sustainability enforcement. Kenya sees charcoal not as a by-product however as a managed forest useful resource.
Uganda: Charcoal falls beneath the Ministry of Power and Mineral Growth. A Nationwide Charcoal Technique hyperlinks it to family power, employment, and local weather objectives, treating charcoal as power, not simply smoke.
Tanzania: Charcoal is collectively managed by Forestry and Power as a result of it offers over 80% of family cooking gasoline. In Tanzania, charcoal is the kitchen’s lifeline—an important power commodity, not a casual commerce.
Namibia: Charcoal is an export commodity beneath the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Namibia Charcoal Affiliation ensures world high quality certification, branding, and worldwide gross sales. Namibia’s charcoal is packaged, standardised, and shipped worldwide.
Learn additionally: The invisible commodity: Why charcoal is not on Nigeria’s economic map
Nigeria’s Gray Zone
In Nigeria, charcoal floats in limbo, not fairly forestry, not fairly power, not fairly agriculture. Formally, it sits beneath the Ministry of Atmosphere for licensing, however there’s no devoted coverage framework or regulatory readability.
If Nigeria borrowed fashions from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, or Namibia, it may lastly “home” charcoal correctly.
Forestry may declare it, tying it to afforestation and sustainability.
Power may regulate it as a home gasoline supply.
Agriculture may oversee it as an agro-commodity.
On the very least, it deserves an outlined residence.
The missed alternative
In response to the FAO, the worldwide charcoal market is value about $5 billion yearly. Nigeria exports roughly 1.9 million metric tonnes of charcoal (each authorized and unlawful) every year, incomes an estimated $75–100 million. Examine that to crude oil’s $45–50 billion in annual income, and it turns into clear: Nigeria is permitting a doubtlessly precious commodity to slide by way of the cracks of informality.
However charcoal isn’t nearly cash. Formalising the commerce may promote sustainable forestry, create rural jobs, and strengthen environmental governance in producing states like Kogi, Kwara, Oyo, and Nasarawa. Think about headlines like:
“Federal Authorities Launches Nationwide Charcoal Technique — Producing States to Obtain 13 % Derivation.”
After all, challenges would come up. Overharvesting may set off environmental issues, and unlawful exports would nonetheless demand enforcement. However with the proper insurance policies, monitoring, and incentives, these points are manageable.
The larger image
Nigeria has a sample of regulating solely after a useful resource has already been abused. Oil theft drains billions. Cocoa and cashew flounder beneath weak insurance policies. Charcoal, legalised for export since 2023, now suffers from poor communication and enforcement, fuelling underground commerce as a substitute of sustainable progress.
So, what if Nigeria gave charcoal simply 20% of the seriousness reserved for crude oil?
We wouldn’t want an NNPC for charcoal. We’d simply want readability:
-Assign it to a particular sector.
-Outline duties.
-Set requirements.
-Talk and implement persistently.
Charcoal doesn’t must be the brand new oil. It solely wants construction, transparency, and sustainability. As a result of in the long run, whether or not for cooking, heating, or export, black gold doesn’t at all times are available liquid type.
