Nigeria’s Federal Government has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on the export of wood and allied products, revoking all previously issued licences and permits.
The decision was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, during the 18th meeting of the National Council on Environment in Katsina State.
Lawal said the ban is contained in a presidential executive order titled “Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025”, which takes effect immediately.
The minister said the move was aimed at addressing illegal logging and the rapid loss of forest cover across the country. Nigeria has recorded sustained deforestation in recent decades, driven by commercial logging, agricultural expansion and fuelwood use.
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The executive order was published in the Extraordinary Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 180, Vol. 112 of 16 October 2025. It cites Sections 17(2) and 20 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which place responsibility on the state to protect the environment and natural resources.
Under the order, security agencies and relevant government ministries have been directed to enforce the ban and take action against illegal logging activities nationwide.
Opening the council meeting, Katsina State Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal Jobe said environmental challenges required coordination between federal and state governments. He referenced the state’s efforts to address desertification and land degradation.
The ban is expected to affect exporters and timber traders, particularly in forest-producing states, though the government has yet to outline enforcement mechanisms, penalties, or whether exemptions will apply to processed wood products.