Amid growing demand for biomass energy sources across West Africa, Nigeria exported energy goods valued at ₦65.85bn in the first quarter of 2025, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed in its latest report.
The report, titled: ‘Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics’, showed that the vast majority of the exports ₦65.65bn were sent to other African countries.
According to the report, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) nations account for ₦49.15bn, or over 74 percent of the amount.
The energy goods, categorised by the NBS as “fuel woods in logs (e.g., hardwood), charcoal, and coniferous wood in chips or particles”, are increasingly becoming sought-after commodities, particularly in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries, where alternative energy sources remain scarce or expensive.
However, the NBS report points to a troubling rise in tree felling and deforestation, with Nigeria increasingly exporting the consequences of environmental degradation through surging shipments of firewood, charcoal, and other wood-derived energy products.
According to the report, Benin Republic emerges as the top destination for Nigeria’s wood energy exports, receiving N29.83bn worth of products in the first three months of 2025. It was followed by Togo, which imported goods valued at ₦19.32bn within the same period.
Beyond Africa, Asian countries imported ₦94.80m worth of firewood, charcoal and other derivatives goods from Nigeria, while European nations took in about ₦102.21m.
In total, Nigeria’s energy wood exports reached four continents, underlining the growing international appetite for biomass as an alternative energy source.
In contrast, Nigeria imported only ₦45.77m worth of energy wood products during the same period, with ₦1.03m coming from African countries, ₦930,000bfrom the Americas, and ₦43.81 million from Asia.
The export boom comes at a time when the domestic use of charcoal and firewood is also surging, driven by rising cooking gas prices and unreliable electricity supply.
Across major markets in states like Niger, Ogun, Lagos and Kaduna, charcoal vendors have reported record sales as more Nigerians turn to traditional fuels for cooking and heating.
While bio-mass energy remains controversial due to its environmental implications, especially deforestation and carbon emissions, it continues to play a crucial role in meeting the energy needs of millions of households and small businesses across West Africa.
