In a milestone event on Monday, July 21, 2025, held at the Aso Villa Banquet Hall, the Nigeria Forest Economic Summit (NFES) 2025 convened top government officials, private investors, and development stakeholders to chart a new course for Nigeria’s $2 billion forest economy.
The summit was organized through a strategic partnership between the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) and the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), signaling a major push toward sustainable economic transformation.
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff Senator Ibrahim Hadejia.
The event also brought together cabinet ministers, traditional leaders, international development agencies, and the BCDA leadership team.
Discussions focused on unlocking the vast potential of Nigeria’s forest resources to drive job creation, enhance financial inclusion, and promote climate-resilient growth.
In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary and CEO of BCDA, Dr. George-Kelly D. Alabo, highlighted that “Nigeria possesses over 10.6 million hectares of forest land. However, current carbon credit earnings remain under $50 million annually, far below the $2 billion potential that can be realized through sustainable forest valuation and management.”
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Key outcomes from the summit included the creation of a dedicated forest economy financing framework to mobilize investment, skill development initiatives targeting forest-dependent communities and promotion of innovative public-private partnerships for high-value forest products.
Alabo reaffirmed BCDA’s commitment to “ensuring equitable benefits for border communities and the urgency of combating deforestation.
“A pivotal resolution adopted at the summit calls for large-scale cultivation of economically valuable tree species such as cocoa, rubber, moringa, and oil palm, an approach aimed at boosting agricultural exports while enhancing carbon sequestration.
“With PreCEFI and BCDA at the helm, NFES 2025 has laid the foundation for a coordinated national effort to transform Nigeria’s forest sector into a driver of inclusive green growth.”
