Nigeria is losing her thick forest at an alarming rate due to increase in global appetite for charcoal which has placed so much demand on the country's forest. Charcoal const​itutes the primary urban fuel in most of Africa and some developed countries and is a major source of income for many especially rural farmers whose farming activities have been greatly hampered by herders in parts of Nigeria.

Charcoal production is one of the main causes of deforestation in Africa, which in turn is closely linked to massive decrease in soil quality and a growing risk of crop failure. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation, the Nigeria has lost 50% of its forest cover in two decades and is losing at 5% a year, the highest in the world. At this rate, experts warn, the the country would loss all its forests by 2047.Charcoal production process takes place in a poor oxygen environment which results in incomplete combustion of green house gases such as carbon dioxide (CO. 2) and methane (CH. 4) causing extreme weathers. This process is carried out almost in every charcoal producing community in parts of the country and no action is directed towards mitigating the effect.

This highly lucrative venture yields nearly $7.4 billion yearly but involves felling of both mature and nearly-mature trees, it's impacting the carbon cycle and biodiversity, millions of species have lost their habitats and is already threatening the Nigerian-Cameroon Chimpanzee, which has been declared endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature in 2008 amongst others.

Sadly for local producers, a one time charcoal production which is 50 bags of charcoal brings as little as $180, the producer then pays $90 to the truck driver who is to transport it to the city where other producers bring theirs to dealers. The producer is left with $90 he’s to pay three workers each receiving just as much as the price of a bag of charcoal $3 and $25 for the chain saw operators. He spends part of the money on community charcoal production union, buys bags and rope to package the charcoal. In the end he’s left with so little to take care of his family and no development comes into the community because despite the billions of dollars generated many charcoal producing communities are still very poor, lack access roads and other basic amenities.