The Kwara State House of Assembly has passed the Charcoal Production Prohibition Amendment Bill 2025 for second reading during a plenary session held in Ilorin.

The bill, sponsored by Razaq Omotosho, Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and member representing Isin Constituency (APC), seeks to strengthen existing environmental laws by imposing stricter penalties on individuals engaged in illegal charcoal production.

Originally read for the first time on 9 September 2025, the bill advanced to second reading this week, where lawmakers debated its general principles.

Speaking during the session, Mr. Omotosho explained that the amendment was introduced to address rapid ecosystem degradation caused by deforestation.

He condemned the unchecked felling of trees for charcoal, noting that loggers were profiting while making no effort to replant, thereby endangering biodiversity and public welfare.

"The environment is not self-sustaining under such abuse," he said. "Rescuing it requires collective responsibility. If we fail, our economy and people's lives will pay the price through ecological collapse."

The proposed amendments aim to deter illegal logging through enhanced enforcement mechanisms and harsher sanctions, aligning with broader state efforts to combat climate change and preserve natural resources.

He argued that stiffer penalties would serve as a deterrent to those who violate the rules.

Other legislators maintained that the proposed law would introduce longer prison terms, higher fines, and confiscation of equipment to deter violators and safeguard the environment.

In her submission, Rukayat Shittu (APC/Owode Onire) said there was an urgent need to amend the existing bill, as the 2018 law had failed to deter perpetrators from continuing deforestation practices.

She called for the accelerated passage of the bill, saying that continuous charcoal production has affected the state and its people, leading to changes in weather and climate patterns.

Ayi Babatunde (APC/Ilorin West) stated that the penalties for offenders were too weak, hence the need for the amendment, adding that the current laws were ineffective in curbing the menace.

Presiding over the session, Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu directed the clerk of the House, Ahmed Kareem, to read the bill for the third time.

He thereafter referred the bill to the House Committee on Environment to make necessary arrangements for further legislative action on the bill and report to the House as soon as possible.

(NAN)