AN ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF WOOD CHARCOAL PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA (1961-2021)

The high rate of charcoal production in Nigeria is a major concern to environmentalists because of its short and long term implications, some of which are clearly evident in greenhouse gas emission, deforestation, soil quality degradation and biodiversity loss. This study assesses the trend of charcoal production in Nigeria from 1961 to 2021, with the aim of highlighting its implications for sustainable forest management among others both now and in the far future. Also predicts future movement in production volume of wood charcoal in Nigeria up to 2050. Data was time series data on quantity of wood charcoal produced in Nigeria obtained from FAOSTAT database. The result of the analysis shows that there was an increase of 30.69% in production from 1961 to 1970. The increasing rate of production continued by 1993, the rate of production of charcoal in Nigeria rose to 200.13% from what it was in 1961. The rapid rise in production could be attributed to rise in population and expansion of industrial enterprises, like bakeries, which use charcoal as source of energy. By 2020, the production of charcoal in Nigeria increased by more than five hundred percent (515.97%) from the 1961 base year. This may be attributed to high cost of cooking fuels coupled with the incessant scarcity of the product which makes it become important to provide an alternative means of energy for the sustenance of the people.