Kogi govt prohibits charcoal production

Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Victor Omofaiye, Kogi State said the government has banned the production of charcoal across the 21 local government areas of the state.

Omofaiye, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, said that charcoal production in Kogi was illegal and highly prohibited.

He said that any person or group of persons caught producing or in possession of the fuel would be arrested and prosecuted in court.

“Any vehicle caught carrying charcoal shall be impounded by the Kogi State Government,” he said.

Following the high cost of domestic cooking gas and kerosene, the sale of charcoal has become a lucrative business in Kogi due to its high demand.

A bag of charcoal in Lokoja is now sold between N1,800 and N2,200.