Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the New Nigerian Peoples Party’s presidential candidate, attended the 2025 Nigeria Forest Economy Summit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
The event, organized by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), brought together key stakeholders to discuss sustainable forest management and economic diversification.
Kwankwaso, a prominent opposition figure, did not address the gathering or speak to the media during the summit, but his presence drew attention due to the upcoming 2027 general elections.
At the summit, the Vice President, represented by Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, warned of the dire state of Nigeria’s forests and the severe economic consequences if immediate action is not taken.
According to Dr. Sadiq Sani, Founder and CEO of Netzence Sustainability Limited, his company is leveraging technology to tap into the over two billion dollar potential in the forest sector.
Speaking while declaring the summit open, Shettima said, “More than 90 percent of Nigeria’s original forest cover has been depleted, and over 400,000 hectares lost annually, saying the situation was not an environmental crisis, but “economic emergency.”
He stressed that the country is at a crossroads and that neglecting forest resources directly impoverishes the nation and its people.
“We cannot underestimate the importance of our forests. They are a treasure trove of biodiversity, timber, medicinal plants, and other valuable products that underpin agriculture, trade, health, climate resilience, and finance. Yet this vast potential remains largely untapped.
“Look at Vietnam, earning over $15 billion yearly from forest exports. Brazil’s Amazon contributes 15% of their GDP from forests alone. Ethiopia has generated 350,000 jobs through reforestation and value chains. Nigeria should not only replicate these successes but lead Africa’s forest industrialization,” he said.
