1. The Importance of Forestry Statistics

Statistical Data is a numerical expression or a collection of numerical expressions that can be used to provide information about one or more entities. Forestry Statistics therefore is a collection of forestry related statistical data especially with reference to the production, consumption, spatial distribution, trade, imports, exports and development of wood and non-wood forest resources in particular locations.

The least recognised but the most important constraint to socio-economic development in most countries is the lack of an adequate, accurate and timely data series. This is equally applicable to forestry development where the importance of forestry data cannot be overemphasised. A wide range of forestry data can be collected in principle but this must be dictated by real needs, time and money. Such a data bank of forestry statistics where available is the bedrock of effective development planning. They could be analysed deliberately and used to facilitate decision-making processes. Forestry data are crucial for sector outlooks and sector analysis; they are useful for capital budgeting, demand and supply forecasts, production scheduling, resource allocation, optimal control, input-output analysis, dynamic analysis and a host of others. When formulated into econometric and eco-statometric models they find ready expression in policy analysis and conflict management. They can also aid policy formulation. Above all, as far as forestry is concerned, a reliable forestry database is the folcrum on which sustainable forest development and management are anchored.

Though the role of statistics in forestry policy and planning are well appreciated in Nigeria, the problem seems to be that available forestry statistic in Nigeria are not only generally deficient in quality and quantity but are disjointed and their collection suffer from long lags.

This review is timely and could form the basis for drawing the attention of policy makers to the deficiencies that exist under the present scheme of things. It could also establish the desired focus for future plans and actions with regard to forestry data generation, collection, processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination in Nigeria.

Wood products in Nigeria include sawnwood, wood based panels, i.e. plywood and particleboards, and paper and paperboard i.e. Newsprints, Printing and writing paper and other paper and paper boards i.e. Kraft paper. Nigeria does not presently produce fibreboard.

The nature of statistics on these products is disjointed because there are no systematised methodologies for their regular collection either at the Federal, State or at Local Government Levels. What exist are ad-hoc studies, which are rather periodic in Nature. The review in this section is based on the last series of studies specifically the wood-based Industrial sector Review of 1994 and the Forest Resources Study of 1998 undertaken by the Federal Department of Forestry and a quick field survey by the author.

From available evidence, the number of wood based industries in Nigeria has been increasing except for sawmills, which declined from 1700 in 1993 to 1349 in 1997. As at 1993, the General Wood and Veneer Consultant Ltd, Canada who was employed by the Federal Department of Forestry to carry studies on the wood based industries revealed that there were altogether 1715 wood industries in Nigeria consisting of 1700 sawmills, 8 plymills, 4 particle board mills and 3 paper mills. However, by 1997, the Beak Constants Ltd in collaboration with Geomatics international Canada who was employed by the Federal Department of Forestry to carry out a Forest Resource Study, revealed that the number of wood based industry had declined from the level of 1715 in 1993 to 1373. These are comprised of 1349 sawmills, 10 Plymills, 4 ParticleBoard mills, 3 Paper mills and 7 Match and splints factories. The major wood processing industries in Nigeria are typically large capacity facilities such as large sawmills, plywood mill, pulp and paper plants etc. In particular, the sawmills are designed to handle large diameter logs. The sawmills are essentially distributed between small, medium and large scale in the proportion of 81%: 13%: 6%. Though the number of sawmills decreased, production has not decreased commensurately. This is because even though wood industries are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain desirable sizes of popular tree species, like Mansonia ultissima, Milicia exclesa and Khaya species from Nigerian forests, they have been forced to expand the range of exploited species to species which hitherto were regarded as uneconomic.

By 1990, the Nigerian sawmill capacity was estimated at 11,684,000m³/year in log equivalent and capacity utilisation was 46% i.e. 5,422,000 m³/year. It was estimated that by 1993 capacity had dropped to 5,842,000 m³ while production was 2,711,000 m³. However based on the findings of Beak International and the field survey carried out by the author, it was estimated that by 1997, the capacity would have dropped to 4,635,800 with a corresponding output of about 2,000,000 m³. Production also might have gradually declined.

The 10 plymills are integrated complexes with sawmills and four particleboard plants. The capacity of the 10 mills was estimated at 158,000 m³ by 1997 and capacity utilisation then was 35% generally bringing the total production to 55,125 m³. Import of wood based panels have continued to declined from 70,000m³ where it peaked in 1980 to 20,000m³ in 1990 and 12,000m3 in 1997.

There are at present four particle board mills in the country but some of them are having problems. In 1993, the existing capacity was estimated at 85,500 m³ with a capacity utilisation of 44% and an output of 39,500 m³. This situation has remained largely so.

There are three pulp and paper mills in Nigeria with a total installed pulp capacity of 102,000 mt per annum and a paper capacity of 207,000 mt per annum. Since 1990, the production of newsprint had been declining from 31,000 mt out of an installed capacity of 100,000 mt per annum, to only 3,000 mt, in 1993. The Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC) had remained shut since 1994, due to problems of spare parts and other logistic problems. The Nigerian Paper Mill (NPM) at Jebba produces industrial grade paper, specifically kraft and kraft linerboard. The old paper machine had a capacity of 12,000 mt but since 1994, a new machine with capacity of 65,000 mt has gone on stream. Production of paperboard in 1990 was 12,498 mt and declined progressively to 2313 mt in 1992 from where a gradual up turn began. Paperboard production by 1996 was 19,744 mt and production had remained at this level. The third mill is the Nigerian National Paper Manufacturing Company Ltd (NNPMC) Iwopin with a proposed installed capacity of 100,000 mt/yr of printing and writing paper. After a protracted history of delays only 30,000 mt/yr of printing and writing paper was installed by 1995. Test production with imported pulp resulted in 2,500 mt of printing and writing paper in 1995 and 966 mt in 1996. Production has not increased appreciably from this mill ever since.

The production in the pulp and paper industry has been constrained by inadequate working capital, spare parts and long fibre availability.

Nigeria does not export wood and wood products due to the high supply and demand gap being experienced at home. The Timber Export Promotion Decree No. 1 of 1998 prohibits the export of timber (whether processed or not) and wood in the rough form, excluding furniture, furniture components and Gmelina arborea in any form.

The decree also prohibits imports of processed wood products including sawn timber, veneer, plywood, particleboard, furniture products and wooden cabinets. The import of roundwood and squared logs are not under ban. As a result, trade data does not exist.