The latest foreign trade in goods statistics report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigeria’s firewood exports in the first quarter of 2025 reached N65.85 billion.
According to the report, this record export was driven by increasing demand for biomass energy across West Africa.
A significant portion of the revenue (N49.15 billion) came from sales to ECOWAS countries, while an additional N16.65 billion accrued from exports directed to other African nations.
In other words, ECOWAS nations contributed more than 74% of the total export value during the review period.
These energy products, classified in the NBS report as “fuel woods in logs (e.g., hardwood), charcoal, and coniferous wood in chips or particles,” are witnessing growing demand, especially in neighboring countries where modern cooking fuels are either costly or in limited supply.
However, the NBS also highlighted growing concerns about logging and deforestation, noting that these activities have increased alongside export demand, contributing to environmental degradation.
Data from the report cited Benin Republic as the primary destination for Nigeria’s wood energy exports, importing N29.83 billion worth of firewood during the period.
The second-largest importer was Togo, with imports valued at N19.32 billion.
Outside the African continent, Asian countries acquired N94.80 million worth of firewood, charcoal, and related products from Nigeria, while European nations imported approximately N102.21 million.
Cumulatively, Nigeria’s energy wood exports reached four continents, reflecting a sustained global preference for biomass over modern alternative energy sources.
Conversely, Nigeria spent N45.77 million on energy wood imports during the quarter. Of this, N1.03 million came from African countries, N930,000 from the Americas, and N43.81 million from Asia.
This export surge comes at a time of rising domestic demand for charcoal and firewood, largely due to soaring cooking gas prices and unreliable electricity supply.
More Nigerians are turning back to traditional fuels for cooking and heating, and vendors across major markets are reporting record-breaking sales.
Despite environmental concerns—especially regarding deforestation and carbon emissions—biomass energy remains a critical energy source for millions of households and small businesses across Africa.
An estimated 900 million to 1 billion people in Africa still depend on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal for cooking—many of them in Nigeria.
The continent’s most populous country still has over 150 million people lacking access to modern or clean cooking fuels.
In Ghana, approximately 67% of its 34 million people still rely on wood and charcoal for daily meal preparation.