
In the thick of rising demand for biomass energy sources
across West Africa, Nigeria exported energy goods valued at
N65.85bn in the first quarter of 2025, the National Bureau of
Statistics reveals in its latest report.
The report, titled ‘Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics,’ and
obtained by Business Hallmark, revealed that the vast majority
of the exports N65.65bn were sent to other African countries.
In the report, the Economic Community of West African States
nations account for N49.15bn, or over 74 per cent of the amount.
The energy goods, segmented by the NBS as “fuel woods in logs
(e.g., hardwood), charcoal, and coniferous wood in chips or
particles”, are increasingly becoming sought-after commodities,
particularly in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries, where
alternative energy sources remain scarce or expensive.
The NBS report looks at the unsettling rise in tree felling and
deforestation, with Nigeria increasingly exporting the results
of environmental degradation through surging shipments of
firewood, charcoal, and other wood-derived energy products.
According to the report, Benin Republic is the top destination
for Nigeria’s wood energy exports, receiving N29.83bn worth of
products in the first three months of 2025.
It was closely followed by Togo, which imported goods valued at
N19.32bn within the same period.
Beyond Africa, Asian countries imported N94.80m worth of
firewood, charcoal and other derivates goods from Nigeria, while
European nations took in about N102.21m.
In total, Nigeria’s energy wood exports reached four continents,
underlining the growing international appetite for biomass as an
alternative energy source.
In contrast, Nigeria imported only N45.77m worth of energy wood
products during the same period, with N1.03m coming from African
countries, N930,000bfrom the Americas, and N43.81 million from
Asia.
The export boom comes at a time when the domestic use of
charcoal and firewood is also surging, driven by rising cooking
gas prices and unreliable electricity supply.
Across major markets in states like Niger, Ogun, Lagos and
Kaduna, charcoal vendors have reported record sales as more
Nigerians turn to traditional fuels for cooking and heating.
While biomass energy remains controversial due to its
environmental implications, especially deforestation and carbon
emissions, it continues to play a crucial role in meeting the
energy needs of millions of households and small businesses
across West Africa.
Meanwhile, a broader analysis of Nigeria’s trade data in Q1 2025
showed that petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous
minerals remained the top export commodity to African and ECOWAS
nations, valued at over N1.48 trillion, or 80.25 per cent of
total exports to the continent.
Source:
hallmarknews.com