The Timber Legality Risk Assessment for Nigeria contains an evaluation of the risk of illegality in Nigeria for 6 categories and 26 sub-categories of law.
Relevant for the legality of harvesting, and related trade and transport of timber in Nigeria we evaluated 6 categories and 26 indicators. We found:
• Specified risk for 18 sub-categories.
• No legal requirements for 3 sub-categories.
For wood processing, we evaluated 1 category and 5 indicators. We found:
• Specified risk for 5 sub-categories
Forest ownership is split between two broad categories: public and private forests. Public forests are those owned by public organizations and include forest reserves and national parks. Forest reserves are mainly established by Nigeria’s states.
It is estimated that the total forest area is 21 627 000 ha, while Forest reserves are 10,138,841 ha which is about 10.9% of the total land area of Nigeria (FAO, 2020).
Nigeria is well endowed with forest resources, but the excessive exploitation of these forest resources is a source of concern and threat to the economic, social, and environmental importance (Hi Aigbe, 2015).
From 2002 to 2020, Nigeria lost 141kha of humid primary forest, making up 14% of its total tree cover loss in the same time period (Global Forest Watch, 2020).
The total area of humid primary forest in Nigeria decreased by 7.4% in this time period. An average annual deforestation rate of 3.5% occurred during that time – one of the highest rates of loss in the world.
Several legality risks are present in Nigeria's timber supply chains. The risks are wide-ranging and appear across all categories of law. If you are sourcing timber from Nigeria you should take care to ensure the extensive risks identified are not present in your supply chains or have been sufficiently mitigated.
Score: 24 / 100 in 2021
Rank: 154 out of 180 countries in 2021
Log export ban (1976 - Present)
No armed conflicts according to the Global Conflict Tracker. According to the Uppsala Conflict Data Program there were 20,083 deaths related to state-based violence from 2011-2020.
CITES Recommends to suspend commercial trade in West African rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus).
Appendix II – Dalbergia spp.; Pterocarpus erinaceus; Pericopsis elata;
Information Gathering
Timber sources
- Find out the different sources of legal timber
- Determine which source type your timber comes from
Timber source type | Description of source type |
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Forest Reserve |
The main source of timber. Forest types within the forest reserves vary according to ecological classification. Hence, forest reserves in the Savanna and Sahel regions may not necessarily have adequate timber resources similar to those in the lowland rain forest areas of southern Nigeria. All forest reserves are owned by the State Governments and managed by the State Forestry Departments (SFDS). |
Free Areas |
Areas outside the gazetted Forest Reserves boundaries. Free Areas are forested areas that are not under strict management by the State Forestry Departments (SFDs), but permission to exploit trees from Free Areas has to be obtained from SDFs. The areas are important for private forestry development, and some of the areas have been targeted as Potential Plantation Areas (PPAs). |
Plantation in Forest Reserve |
Area of Forest Reserves reforested with plantation species Permit type: Permit approved by the State Forestry Department |
Private Plantation |
Plantations owned by non-government individuals, groups or corporate organizations usually established on private lands. Permit type: Permit approved by the State Forestry Department |
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment summary
Legal rights to harvest |
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Taxes and fees |
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Timber harvesting activities
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Third parties' rights
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Trade and transport |
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Processing
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Risk Mitigation
Mitigate the risks in your supply chain
Mitigation recommendations for non-certified materials
Learn which actions we recommended to mitigate the risks associated with the timber sourced from Nigeria.
We have two tools to help you mitigate risks for Nigeria timber supply chains:
- the Risk Mitigation Guide gives you a detailed overview of risks in Nigeria, and how to mitigate them
- the Document Guide provides you with a list of all required documents and examples of key documents and how to use them in mitigating risks.
The tools above give you the most information. Below is a summary of our five recommended actions to mitigate the risks associated with timber sources from Nigeria that are not third-party certified.
Mitigation recommendations
There are five generally recommended actions to mitigate the risks associated with the timber sources from Nigeria:
1. Fully map your supply chain
- Our supply chain mapping tool can help you do this
2. Obtain and verify documents
3. Consult with stakeholders
4. Carry out on-site verification
5. Conduct targeted timber testing