A fully loaded truck in one of the inland dry ports in the sub-region, will be delayed, harassed for bribes by the numerous security agents along the region’s transport corridor before it gets to its destination.
By Godwin Oritse
THE Federal Government has commenced moves to sustainably manage the harvest and export of Rosewood, one of the most endangered species of wood in the country.
Speaking to Vanguard Maritime Report, the General Secretary of the Tropical Wood Exporters Association of Nigeria, TWEAN, Mr. Joseph Odiase, said that the government has imposed a levy of N200,000 on every container of Rosewood export with a view to ensuring proper regulation of the export.
The levy, according to Odiase, is for Semi-processed Rosewood adding that fully processed wood and charcoal attract levy of N100,000 and N75, 000,00 respectively.
The levies are meant to raise funds for re-forestation while discouraging deforestation.
Odiase explained that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES, is also very much in force as the treatment and exportation of some species of woods also require international regulations for sustainability.
CITES is an international agreement between governments aimed at ensuring that international trade in species of Wild animal and plant are not threatened.
Odiase also told Vanguard Maritime Report that the Federal Government has also concluded plans to stop wood export by the year 2020 so as to stop the issue of deforestation across the country.
He added that plans were underway to revolutionalize the wood sub-sector by exporting fully processed wood from Nigeria.
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