Agriculture Ministry inaugurates task force to combat deforestation

…ensure EU regulation compliance

By Kunle Sanni

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has inaugurated a National Task Force (NTF) to address deforestation and ensure Nigeria’s compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The task force will work to help Nigeria produce deforestation-free agricultural products and strengthen its economic ties with the EU.

Speaking during the inauguration event in Abuja, the minister emphasized that deforestation is a major contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss. He described the formation of the NTF as a crucial step in aligning Nigeria with the EUDR, which aims to prevent deforestation in the production of key commodities.

Kyari highlighted that the EUDR, which took effect on June 29, 2023, requires mandatory compliance by December 2024. The regulation targets commodities linked to deforestation risks, including timber, soya, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, and cattle, as well as products derived from them, such as chocolate, leather, tyres, and furniture.

“Only deforestation-free products—those that have not contributed to deforestation after December 31, 2020, and are legal according to the domestic laws of the country of origin—will be allowed in the EU market,” Kyari explained.

With the European Union being a key trade partner, the minister warned that non-compliance with the EUDR would significantly impact Nigeria’s export markets for cocoa, rubber, soya, and timber, which account for a large portion of Nigeria’s €523 million export trade to the EU.

Kyari joined other cocoa-producing nations in calling for a two-year extension of the EUDR compliance deadline, referencing the International Cocoa Organization’s recent appeal for the postponement.

He also stressed the need for collaboration to establish a national traceability system, forest mapping, and due diligence to ensure Nigeria’s agricultural products meet the EU’s deforestation-free standards. Kyari pointed to Ghana’s success in mapping 1.2 million farms and tracing cocoa beans as an example for Nigeria to follow.

The minister urged the NTF to work closely with both government and private sector stakeholders to ensure Nigeria meets the required standards and remains competitive in the global market.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Temitope Peter Fashedemi, represented by the Director of the Federal Department of Agriculture, Engr. Abubakar Abdullahi, reaffirmed the ministry’s support for the NTF’s efforts in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda for the agricultural sector.

The task force’s terms of reference include coordinating national efforts on EUDR compliance, designing an implementation and funding strategy, creating a GIS infrastructure for cocoa production, digitizing the value chain, and engaging with the EU to explore the possibility of extending the compliance deadline.