Training teaches people to make charcoal briquettes from recycled waste materials – it’s cheap, healthier and efficient and it does not produce smoke or odours.

Most Nigerians in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in the rural areas, use firewood and charcoal for their energy needs – but many do not realise that cutting down trees without replacing them is having a detrimental effect, causing deforestation and creating environmental pollution, both of which add to the climate crisis facing in the world.

Inhabitants of the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states use much firewood and charcoal to cook and heat their homes. Collecting firewood and making charcoal are also the only means for many people to earn a living.

Climate experts say that at this stage, of the three states, Borno is regarded as the “worst-affected area”.

The rate of deforestation is increasing because not enough trees are planted to combat the number that are cut down.
Not only is the work of cutting down trees exhausting and extremely time-consuming, in Borno State it is also dangerous.

Many inhabitants – mostly women – have been kidnapped, assaulted, harassed and sexually violated by insurgents while they collect firewood on the edges of forests where the attackers have hideouts. Many have died too, most killed by insurgents or when they step on hidden improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The constant burning of wood and charcoal to cook and heat their homes have also resulted in respiratory health complications.

To tackle this issue, the Food Security Sector in Nigeria, in collaboration with the ministry of environment, initiated a three-day training workshop for 25 staff officials from the ministry of environment, the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Concern on Climate Change for the Community Initiative (FOURCi), Green Concern for Development (GREENCODE) and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Zabarmari and Gongulong.

The training took place at the BOSEPA office in Maiduguri last week from December 12 to 14.

The aim of the training was to teach participants to recycle waste products to make charcoal briquettes.
For as long as these states have existed, inhabitants – particularly in the rural areas – have been cutting down trees, collecting firewood and making charcoal. This is usually the only source they have to make a living. But it has come at a huge price.
Deforestation – in all three states but particularly Borno – is now a major concern.

In the training sessions, facilitators showed participants how to make charcoal briquettes from waste items, such as rice residue, bagasse [sugar cane residue], polythene bags and other garbage by carbonisation.

The training is regarded as imperative because it could help to stop – or at least lessen – deforestation, putting an end to cutting down so many trees. Replacing the trees by planting new ones has not been successful, although there have been attempts to do so in many districts and officials hope this will continue.

Abba Kura is the deputy director of planning research and statistics at the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA). He participated in the training and told RNI that the three-day programme had been initiated by the Food Security Sector to train key officials from the BAY states.

“The participants were chosen because they are close to the people at grassroots level. It is expected that those who participated in the training will pass down what they learnt to fellow inhabitants, urging them to start using waste to make charcoal briquettes instead of cutting down trees.

“The initiative is imperative because not only will it help to stop deforestation, but it is also uses waste materials that will, in the long term, combat environmental pollution.”
Kura said waste would be managed in a “useful” way.

“The recycling of waste materials is cheap and, most importantly, it helps efforts to curtail climate change that is ravaging the world.

“Not only is it cheap – because the people will be recycling waste, rubbish and garbage materials – but the charcoal briquettes last far longer than firewood and the charcoal produced by locals. The briquettes stay hot for longer and when they burn they do not produce smoke or odour.”

Maryam Baba Henah, the coordinator for Safe Access to Fuel and Energy at the Nigeria Food Security Sector, said the training would enable inhabitants to produce charcoal briquettes, cheaply and easily.

She said the process involved using waste products of all kinds. The briquettes lasted longer, were extremely efficient and could be used to cook and heat homes. This meant fewer trees would be cut down and it could reduce environmental pollution.

“The briquette has zero pollution, zero emission, it saves the labour of going into often dangerous places to collect firewood and it provides energy-saving consumption.

“During the training it was emphasised that this was a process of training people who would then become trainers themselves and then those people would train more people. We call it the training of trainers. We want participants to pass down what they have learnt to others in the community, who would then also pass it down to more people. In this way, whole communities will start making the briquettes, which they could also sell, providing a means of making money. Imagine how many trees that could save.

“This was the first training of its kind but we intend doing similar workshops in Adamawa and Yobe – and maybe more states in future.”

Maryam said many people, particularly in rural areas, were not aware of climate change and the crisis it was causing. They did not realise that they were adding to the critical climate crisis by cutting down trees and not replacing them with new trees.

“Most people are not aware of the worthiness of waste materials and simply regard them as garbage and rubbish that needs to be thrown out. They do not know the ‘value’ of waste. If the safe, easy-to-make and cheap method of making the charcoal briquettes is passed on, it could be one way to put an end to deforestation and also make a difference in the climate crisis.”

FALMATA MOHAMMED ALI