Given that Nigeria has over 21m hectares of tropical rainforest, we should be a major player  in the global timber and furniture sector 

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Given that 45% of Nigerian timber is rosewood, a highly prized wood used for the production of luxurious furniture, its export is subsequently banned. Why we do not have a thriving furniture industry is this totally beyond me 

[2] Given that we have about 21m hectares of tropical rain forest, can someone please explain why Nigeria does not have plans to match Brazil’s production of 11bn kg of timber by 2025 

[3] Were we a serious people, in each of our 36 states, there would be at least five pulp, laminated wood, sawmill, plywood, furniture or paper mill factory

[4] Do you know that Chile generates at least $2bn a year from timber products. Nigeria must seek to match that by 2025 at the very least 

[5] To get our forestry products industry up and running the way it is in say the Baltic states, Nigeria’s river basin authorities will need to dredge the country’s waterways to enable them transport logs

[6] More importantly, reforestation is a must. For every tree that is felled, three must be planted to replace it

[7] Also, every state must declare a green belt within its territory where lumbering is restricted. This is to enable our tree population grow

[8] To enable the industry to thrive, all towns and cities with a forestry products facility will be linked together by a railway network

[9] Also, all the major furniture manufacturers need to be invited to come and open shop in Nigeria. They will be given five year tax holidays and 99 year land leases to open plantations, processing plants and factories that manufacture finished products

[10] A special forestry products bank also needs to be opened to advance loans to any local carpenter who wants to use his innovative skills to start factories or special product’s manufacturing facility