Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has banned the production of charcoal across the State as part of renewed efforts to curb environmental degradation.
The announcement was made on Thursday during the 2026 World Environment Day celebration organised by N-HYPPADEC in partnership with the Kogi State Government and the Office of the Climate Change Agency.
Governor Ododo, represented by the Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engr. Joseph Oluwasegun, said the amount of carbon monoxide emitted from charcoal production far outweighs any economic gains, and must be reduced to protect public health and the climate.
He directed the Department of Forestry to confiscate the products of anyone caught in the act, stressing that carbon monoxide emission must be reduced.
“Kogi State can no longer afford practices that destroy our forests and worsen climate vulnerability,” he said.
The Governor noted that mitigating environmental challenges is a collective responsibility, stressing that the administration will not compromise on protecting the environment.
Governor Ododo disclosed that environmental consultants engaged by the state have identified over 300 critical and life-threatening erosion and environmental degradation sites across Kogi.
He added that the consultants have been mandated to produce bankable designs aimed at addressing the challenges.
Governor Ododo commended N-HYPPADEC for its channelisation and stabilisation project carried out in Kogi Local Government Area.
Governor Ododo urged residents to become agents of environmental mitigation and support the administration’s climate resilience agenda.
Speaking on the theme of the 2026 World Environment Day, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” the Director-General of the Kogi State Climate Change Agency (KSCCA), Michael Ajibade, said the theme is a call for all stakeholders to renew commitment to environmental stewardship.
He said the agency would coordinate climate action across MDAs, facilitate climate finance mobilization, and support community-based adaptation initiatives.
Ajibade emphasised that trees remain nature’s most effective carbon capture technology, urging citizens to plant the right trees in the right places and nurture forests beyond ceremonial planting.
He listed Kogi’s climate vulnerabilities to include flooding along river systems, land degradation, erosion, deforestation and declining agricultural productivity, stressing that integrated planning and collaboration were needed to transform climate risks into opportunities.
Ajibade further commended Governor Ododo’s visionary leadership for elevating climate action through the establishment of KSCCA, appointment of the first Special Adviser on Climate Change, and integration of climate considerations into state development planning.
Similarly, the Kogi State Coordinator of N-HYPPADEC, Dr. Michael Ajayi, commended the state government for its partnership and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to flood control, erosion management and environmental stabilization projects in riverine communities.
Also speaking, the Kogi State Project Coordinator of NEWMAP, Dr. Yahaya Abbas, praised the World Environment Day initiative and assured of continued collaboration to make Kogi’s environment safer and more resilient.
