NATIONAL FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION POLICY

What Is This Policy?

The National Forestry and Conservation Policy Framework is Nigeria's strategic guide for the sustainable management, conservation, and rehabilitation of forests and biodiversity resources nationwide. It covers gazetted forest reserves, community forests, agroforestry systems, and protected areas, with the goal of reversing Nigeria's severe deforestation trend while generating rural livelihoods from forest resources.

Who Does It Target?

State forestry departments and forest reserve managers across all 36 states Rural communities dependent on forests for timber, food, fuel, and income Timber and non-timber forest product (NTFP) operators seeking exploitation licences Conservation organisations, wildlife managers, and biodiversity researchers Climate finance investors and carbon market developers seeking REDD+ partnership opportunities

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Reverse Nigeria's deforestation rate, currently estimated at 350,000 to 400,000 hectares per year, one of the highest in Africa Increase forest cover from approximately 4.8% of land area toward the internationally recommended 25% minimum Integrate forest conservation into Nigeria's climate change commitments, including a 30% reduction in forest loss by 2030 Promote community forestry, agroforestry, and joint forest management as viable rural income alternatives to illegal logging

Key Features

REDD+ Integration: Nigeria participates in the UN REDD+ programme, enabling forest carbon credits and international climate finance for verified conservation outcomes Community Forest Management: Policy supports joint forest management agreements giving local communities formal rights and responsibilities over forests in their area Watershed Protection Zones: Designates critical watershed forests as no-logging areas to protect rivers, aquifers, and downstream agricultural water supplies Plantation Development: Encourages industrial and community tree planting programmes to supplement protection of natural forests NTFP Framework: Provides for the sustainable management and commercialisation of honey, medicinal plants, game, gums, and other non-timber products Bonn Challenge Commitment: Nigeria committed to restoring 4 million hectares of degraded land under the global Bonn Challenge reforestation initiative

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active but enforcement capacity remains weak; a 2025 policy revision is expected to strengthen climate alignment and enforcement Implementing Body: Federal Ministry of Environment; State Forestry Departments; Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN); National Forestry Council Coverage: National; priority areas include Cross River, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Niger, Kogi, and Taraba States Funding: Federal budget allocations, UN-REDD forest carbon payments, World Bank GEF biodiversity grants

How to Access

Timber Operators: Obtain timber exploitation licences from State Forestry Departments and comply with sustainable yield quotas Communities: Apply for joint forest management agreements through the State Forestry Department to formalise community forest rights REDD+ Finance: Contact the Federal Ministry of Environment REDD+ Secretariat for community and state government access to forest carbon payments Contact: Federal Ministry of Environment: environment.gov.ng | FRIN: frin.gov.ng | +234 (0)9 523 4788

Impact & Metrics

Forest cover declined from 14.9 million hectares (2000) to approximately 4.9 million hectares (2020), a 67% reduction over 20 years Nigeria committed to restoring 4 million hectares under the Bonn Challenge, with REDD+ as the primary financing mechanism

Official Resources

Website: environment.gov.ng | frin.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Environment, No. 3 Abidjan Street, Zone 3, Wuse, Abuja | +234 (0)9 523 4788 Policy Summary | Source: FME, FAO Nigeria, UN-REDD, CBD Secretariat, FRIN, NCF | February 2026

Legal Framework

The National Forestry and Conservation Policy operates under the Forestry Act, the NESREA Act 2007, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act 1992. It aligns with the Climate Change Act 2021, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the CITES Convention on trade in timber and wildlife. The Land Use Act 1978 and the National Environmental Management guidelines provide supporting frameworks.