The Nasarawa State Government has placed a ban on the use and sale of charcoal in the state in a bid to protect the environment.
This was disclosed at a press briefing in Lafia during the weekend by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Aliyu Agwai.
Agwai said the process of producing charcoal is harmful to the environment, stressing that it possesses the ability of destroying the climate and increasing global warming.
The Permanent Secretary noted that burning of charcoal, especially, would produce harmful emission capable of affecting health of residents.
He said: “Cutting trees can result in the loss of habitat for animal species, which can harm the ecosystems.
“Almost all the land animals and plants live in forests and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.”
He warned those selling and using charcoal to desist to avoid prosecution.
This comes as a number of Nigerians resort to cooking with charcoal due to the hike in cooking gas.
