Evaluating the effects of excessive use of fuelwood on the environment in Northern Nigerian arid zones: a case study of Jigawa State

The use of wood fuel in traditional cookstoves and heat stoves by almost 3 billion people across the globe has been a major source of profound concern to the global community because of its adverse effect on the environment as well as human life. Wood fuel, which can also be referred to as ‘fuelwood' includes such biomasses like firewood, charcoal, wood chips, pellets, sheets, shavings and sawdust. The fuel is commonly used as a source of energy among rural dwellers, and it has remained the major source of fuel for over half the population of the world (FAO, 2011). This study set out to examine the environmental effects of fuelwood usage in rural areas of Jigawa State as the main source of energy and reasons for over-dependency on it while exploring alternative safer fuel. Primary and secondary data were collected analysed and used in the study. Primary data was through questionnaires, survey and observations. The secondary data was form existing literature, results from previous studies and various reports including online resources. The results show that in rural areas in Jigawa state, indeed like most parts of Nigeria and Africa, there is still a heavy reliance and exploitation of firewood as the major energy source for domestic cooking, heating, lighting, as well as commercial activities like blacksmith, roadside eateries, tea cafes and small scale bakeries. The study also found that cost and availability are the most important factors in the choice of fuelwood. People showed willingness to switch to alternatives if they are made available and affordable. Northern Nigeria communities are mainly agrarian and the potential for using agricultural wastes as cooking briquettes and pellets are quite encouraging. The pilot project was a big success that ticked all the boxes, reducing the need to cut down mature trees, reducing methane in agricultural fields, eliminating black carbon from bush burning, providing a sustainable and economically viable energy source, and creating a new enterprise of the pellets value chain. This has been tried with much success in other African countries too like Ghana.