NATIONAL FORESTRY POLICY (1)

What Is This Policy?

The National Forestry Policy (NFP) is Nigeria's comprehensive framework for the sustainable management, conservation, and development of the country's forest resources — covering reserved forests, community forests, private plantations, and non-timber forest products, with a focus on reversing deforestation and restoring Nigeria's forest cover.

Who Does It Target?

Forest communities and rural households dependent on forests for livelihood and subsistence State Forestry Departments managing gazetted forest reserves across 36 states Timber and non-timber forest product (NTFP) industry operators, loggers, and processors Conservation organisations, researchers, and biodiversity protection agencies Government institutions managing watershed protection and climate-sensitive forest zones

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Reverse Nigeria's alarming deforestation rate (estimated at 350,000–400,000 hectares per year — one of the highest in Africa) Increase Nigeria's forest cover from approximately 4.8% of land area to at least 25% through massive reforestation and plantation programmes Protect biodiversity, watersheds, and climate-regulating functions of forests as natural infrastructure Develop community forestry and agroforestry as sustainable rural livelihoods reducing pressure on natural forests

Key Features

REDD+ Integration: Nigeria participates in the UN REDD+ Programme — enabling forest carbon credits and international climate finance for forest conservation Forest Reserve Management: Mandates sustainable management plans for all gazetted forest reserves — prohibiting clear-felling without approved reforestation plans Community Forestry: Promotes community-managed forests and joint forest management (JFM) giving local communities rights and responsibilities over nearby forests Plantation Development: Encourages large-scale industrial and community tree planting to supplement natural forest conservation Non-Timber Forest Products: Policy recognises NTFP value (honey, medicinal plants, game, gums) and provides for their sustainable management alongside timber Watershed Protection Zones: Designates critical watershed forests as protected zones — no-logging areas around major rivers and water catchment areas

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active — but implementation widely acknowledged as weak; a 2025 revision is expected to strengthen enforcement and climate alignment Implementing Body: Federal Ministry of Environment; State Forestry Departments; National Forestry Council; Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) Coverage: National; critical forest zones in Cross River, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Niger, Kogi, and Taraba States Deforestation Rate: Nigeria loses an estimated 350,000–400,000 ha of forest annually — among the world's highest rates relative to remaining forest cover Funding: Federal budget allocations, UN-REDD+ payments for forest carbon, World Bank and GEF biodiversity grants

How to Access

Timber Industry: Obtain timber exploitation licences from State Forestry Departments; comply with sustainable yield harvesting quotas Community Groups: Apply for joint forest management agreements through State Forestry Departments to formalise community forest rights REDD+ Payments: Forest communities and state governments in qualifying areas can access REDD+ climate finance through Nigeria's REDD+ Secretariat at FMENV Contact: Federal Ministry of Environment: environment.gov.ng | FRIN: frin.gov.ng

Impact & Metrics

Nigeria's forest cover fell from 14.9 million ha (2000) to approximately 4.9 million ha (2020) — a 67% reduction over 20 years REDD+ Programme: Nigeria enrolled in the UN-REDD programme and has developed a National REDD+ Strategy targeting 30% reduction in forest loss by 2030 Target: Restore 4 million hectares of degraded lands under Nigeria's commitment to the Bonn Challenge

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, REDD+ Nigeria, UN-REDD, Nigerian Conservation Foundation | February 2026

Legal Framework

The National Forestry Policy operates under the Forestry Act, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency Act 2007, and the Land Use Act 1978. It aligns with the Climate Change Act 2021, Nigeria's Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030. The Desertification Control and Drought Mitigation Programme provides specific authority for northern Nigeria forest interventions.