TheCable

The Kogi government says it has banned the production of charcoal across the 21 LGAs in the state.

According to NAN, Victor Omofaiye, commissioner for environment, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Omofaiye said production of charcoal is illegal, adding that persons or groups found involved in the act would be arrested and prosecuted.

“Any vehicle caught carrying charcoal shall be impounded by the Kogi state government,” he said.

The ban on charcoal production in Kogi is part of efforts by the state to address environmental degradation.

The development comes months after the Nasarawa government banned the use of charcoal in the state.

Announcing the ban in December 2021, Aliyu Agwai, permanent secretary, ministry of environment and natural resources in Nasarawa, Agwai said the process of producing charcoal is dangerous to the environment.

According to Agwai, charcoal production emits harmful fumes that are toxic to the environment and also intensifies global warming.

Meanwhile, findings by TheCable revealed that more people are turning to the use of charcoal as a result of the rise in the price of cooking gas.

Information from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that Nigerians paid above N7,000 for 12.5kg of cooking gas in January 2022.